Which atmospheric effect causes deflection of prevailing winds forming distinct east-west bands?

💡 Explanation

When air masses move across Earth, the Coriolis effect occurs because Earth’s rotation deflects moving objects (winds and currents), to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, shaping prevailing wind patterns. Therefore, the Coriolis effect results, rather than thermal, geostrophic, or katabatic effects which require other specific temperature or pressure gradients.

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