When Do Geostrophic Winds Occur?

As the air mass starts to move, it is deflected to the right by the Coriolis force

. The deflection increases until the Coriolis force is balanced by the pressure gradient force

pressure gradient force

The pressure-gradient force is the force that results when there is a difference in pressure across a surface. ... In Earth's atmosphere, for example, air pressure decreases at altitudes above Earth's surface, thus providing a pressure-gradient force which counteracts the force of gravity on the atmosphere.

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Pressure-gradient force - Wikipedia

. At this point, the wind will be blowing parallel to the isobars. When this happens, the wind is referred to as the "geostrophic wind".

Where do geostrophic winds occur?

The geostrophic wind is the wind flow that occurs in the middle latitudes aloft in the troposphere. The winds have a more difficult time obtaining geostrophic balance in the equatorial latitudes since the Coriolis force is weak.

What causes geostrophic flow?

This occurs because the Earth is rotating. The rotation of the earth results in a "force" being felt by the water moving from the high to the low, known as Coriolis force. The Coriolis force acts at right angles to the flow, and when it balances the pressure gradient force, the resulting flow is known as geostrophic.