[Chequers]

"Over the past week, NASA satellites have observed an extraordinary amount of smoke injected into the atmosphere from the Australian fires and its subsequent eastward dispersal."

NASA reckons the tremendous smoke plume created from the devastating bushfires will "make at least one full circuit around the globe, returning once again to the skies over Australia," within the coming days.

As I read this report, I mused as to how this natural circumnavigation would occur on FE. Naturally, human circumnavigation is achieved simply by heading East, in relation to North on navigational equipment, as explained on the wiki.

However, what is the process that would cause natural phenomena - such as bushfire smoke - to do this?

Naturally, the skeptic in me hones in on this particular line from another report: "one expert has said it may not be visible to the naked eye." Which seems a little too convenient. But if I was to observe the arrival of this smoke plume arriving in Western Australia, how would I explain it?

Sources:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-animates-world-path-of-smoke-and-aerosols-from-australian-fires
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51101049
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bushfire-smoke-will-circle-around-the-globe-and-return-to-australia-nasa-says

[Chequers]

A useful .gif of what this looks like on a globe projection.



Assuming (but not dictating) that this is what is currently happening with bushfire smoke, if there were to be observable, could this suggest a rotation to the atmosphere/layer? Or is there some other mechanism at play?

[Tom Bishop]

Well, the earth is supposed to rotate from West to East in RE. If the round earth was rotating and was leaving something behind it would cause Westwards movement, not Eastwards movement, which is why the sun and stars allegedly set in the West. For wind to travel Eastwards it would need to travel against the Earth's rotation.

[Chequers]

Well, the earth is supposed to rotate from West to East in RE. If the round earth was rotating and was leaving something behind it would cause Westwards movement, not Eastwards movement, which is why the sun and stars allegedly set in the West. For wind to travel Eastwards it would need to travel against the Earth's rotation.

Hi Tom,

Sorry, maybe I didn't ask the question correctly - whether it's feasible or not on a globe (I'm not suggesting it is), I was wondering what the explanation would be on a FE model.

I see prevailing winds / trade winds are acknowledged on the wiki, but mainly as an examination of the Coriolis effect. Could the same mechanism be causing this plume of smoke to circumnavigate the Earth? And if so, do we know what that effect is caused by?