Question 1025Navigation General

The correct answer is B) About 15°. Surface winds over the open sea tend to blow at an angle of about 15 degrees to the isobars, due to the Coriolis effect. This is known as the "geostrophic wind direction". The Coriolis force causes the wind to be deflected to the right of its original direction in the northern hemisphere, resulting in this 15-degree angle between the wind and the isobars. The other options are incorrect because: A) 25 degrees is too large an angle, C) 90 degrees (perpendicular to the isobars) is completely wrong, and D) 50 degrees is also too large an angle compared to the actual 15-degree relationship between surface winds and isobars over the open sea.