Coast Guard Exams
Question 1151Navigation General70% to pass

You are steaming west in the North Atlantic in an extratropical cyclonic storm, and the wind is dead ahead. According to the law of Buys Ballot, the center of low pressure lies to the _______________.

AI Explanation
The correct answer is B) north. According to the law of Buys Ballot, in the Northern Hemisphere, if you are facing the wind, the center of low pressure will be to your left, or to the north of your position. This is because in an extratropical cyclonic storm, the wind circulates counterclockwise around the low pressure center. The other options are incorrect because if the wind is dead ahead, the center of low pressure would not be to the south, east, or west - it would be to the north, as stated by the law of Buys Ballot.

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