Everything about The Trade Wind totally explained
The
trade winds are a pattern of
wind that are found in bands around the Earth's
equatorial region. The trade winds are the
prevailing winds in the
tropics, blowing from the high-pressure area in the
horse latitudes towards the low-pressure area around the
equator. The trade winds blow predominantly from the northeast in the
northern hemisphere and from the southeast in the
southern hemisphere.
Their name derives from the Middle English 'trade', meaning "path" or "track," and thus the phrase "the wind blows trade," that's to say, on track. In German they're known as Passat winds.
The surface air flows toward the equator and the flow aloft is
poleward. A
low-pressure area of calm, light variable winds near the equator is known to mariners as the
doldrums. Around 30° N. and S., the poleward flowing air begins to descend toward the surface in subtropical high-pressure belts. The sinking air is relatively dry because its moisture has already been released near the Equator above the tropical rain forests. Near the center of this
high-pressure zone of descending air, called the "
Horse Latitudes," the winds at the surface are weak and variable. The name for this area is believed to have been given by colonial sailors, who, becalmed sometimes at these latitudes while crossing the oceans with horses as cargo, were forced to throw some overboard to conserve water.
The surface air that flows from these subtropical high-pressure belts toward the Equator is deflected toward the west in both hemispheres by the
Coriolis effect. Because winds are named for the direction from which the wind is blowing, these winds are called the northeast trade winds in the Northern Hemisphere and the southeast trade winds in the Southern Hemisphere. The trade winds meet at the doldrums. Surface winds known as "
westerlies" flow from the Horse Latitudes toward the poles. The "westerlies" meet "easterlies" from the polar highs at about 50-60° N. and S.
Among the most well known trade winds is the
alizé (sometimes
alize), a steady, mild northeasterly wind which blows across central
Africa and the
Caribbean. It brings cool temperatures between November and February.
Trade winds are known to blow across Madagascar and other regions in the area.They are usually strongest in April to October but they do blow all year long.
Further Information
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