I'm reading a science fiction book where a character is on a rotating space station orbiting Mars. She is running opposite to the spin at a speed where Mars is stationary overhead. Would this cancel out the artificial gravity caused by the rotation? If so, what would happen to her?

EDIT - I did look at the answer to a similar question after sammy suggested it, and while it is the same question, I still wonder about what would happen. If you're running against the rotation, you would probably begin to float. But then the moving air would catch you. I assume that you would then fall back to the "floor". Does that seem sensible?

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  • $\begingroup$ Please check that your question has not already been asked before you post a question. Related questions on the right are suggested when you type your title. $\endgroup$ – sammy gerbil Jan 29 '18 at 19:48
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    $\begingroup$ sammy - I did check, but didn't find the question you listed. My search terms were inadequate. $\endgroup$ – Mitchell Kaplan Jan 29 '18 at 21:01
  • $\begingroup$ Yes the rotating air (wind) would acclerate you in the direction of spin, so you would "fall" outwards again. You would only "float off" if there was no wind. What does the story say happens? $\endgroup$ – sammy gerbil Jan 30 '18 at 13:23
  • $\begingroup$ The story has the character continue to run as if the artificial gravity still kept her on the "floor". Oh well. $\endgroup$ – Mitchell Kaplan Jan 30 '18 at 17:05

Yes. It's called the Eötvös effect, and was observed on Earth in ship traveling East vs. West. It's, in part, the vertical part of the Coriolis Effect.

