where \(\omega\) is Earth’s angular rotation speed, \(\phi\) is latitude, and \(U\) is the velocity of the particle. A particle that otherwise would move in a straight line is deflected and follows a circular trajectory, assuming that the effect of other forces is negligible. In the case of a sinuous submarine channel, the particle in a channel bend is moving along a curved trajectory, characterized by a radius of curvature \(R\). In a simplified view, we are interested in how the Coriolis force compares with the centrifugal force. The magnitude of the centrifugal acceleration is