Equator and Coriolis Effect in Kenya

There are beautiful, untamed, paradise places on this planet... and there are curious places too. Equator, that divides our planet into two is one of those places.

This equator crosses Kenya and those who decide to head north in their safari to visit parks such as Samburu or Sweetwaters have the good fortune to cross this curious imaginary line. At some points in this line, there are placed signs indicating you are in the equator of the planet.

The first time I saw one of these signs, I thought well, would be located "more or less" where it is supposed to be the equator, because being an imaginary line... But my surprise was great when we were told we were to perform the "Coriolis Effect" show.

Coriolis effect is, in short, that in the Northern Hemisphere of the earth, the movement occurs clockwise and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. And in Africa, in the equator, I had it in front of my eyes!

How is the Coriolis Effect demonstrated?

For the proof you need: a very friendly guy who shows us the process, a plastic cube, a container with a drain (or a large funnel), water and a match.

1. We're a few meters north of the supposed equator, steps beside the sign. The boy pours water on the funnel, water begins to rotate as it exits by the bottom and drops in the bucket, and the guy puts a match in the moving water. The match turns right. Well, we are in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. We move a few meters to the other side of the sign, where it is supposed to be the Southern Hemisphere. The boy returns to the same process. Puts the match in moving water and... the match turns left... Wow, it will be true that the imaginary line passes more or less where the sign is placed.
3. We stand just by the sign where theoretically the line of equator is. The boy pours water but... the water begins to come down with no movement, neither right nor left. The boy put the match on the water and... the match is not moving! To my surprise, the sign is placed right in the line of Ecuador.

I had previously studied Coriolis effect, but see with my own eyes this demonstration, and its precision, walking just a few steps north or south, left me thoughtfully a good while.

We continue our journey, we will continue discovering the wonders of this place where we live.