Globalwindpatterns

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Globalwindpatterns:Windsarenamedbythedirectionfrom
whichtheyblow.Theglobeisencircledbysixmajorwind
belts,threeineachhemisphere.Frompoletoequator,theyare
thepolareasterlies,thewesterlies,andthetradewinds.Allsix
beltsmovenorthinthenorthernsummerandsouthinthe
northernwinter.
PolarEasterlies:AtaboutthelatitudeofNorwayand
northward(6090degrees),thePolareasterliesblow
irregularlyfromtheeastandnorth.
PolarFront:Betweenthepolareasterliesandthewesterliesis
thepolarfront.

Thesixmajorwindbelts

PrevailingWesterlies:AtaboutthelatitudeofWestern
EuropeandtheU.S.(3060degrees),the
Westerliesblowfromthewest,tending
somewhattowardthenorth.Thiscausesmost
weatherintheUnitedStatestomovefromwest
toeast.
HorseLatitudes:WheretheWesterliesmeet
thetradewindsatabout30degrees
(Jacksonville,Florida)istheHorselatitudes,
alsoVariablesofCancer,SubtropicalHigh,or
Subtropicalridge.Thisisaregionofhigh
pressure,dryair,andvariablewinds,andis
associatedwithdesertsoverland.

Thewesterlies(blue)andtradewinds(yellowandred)

TradeWinds:Southofabout30degreesthenorthernornortheasttradewindsblowmostlyfromthenortheast
towardtheequator.Thesewerethesailor'sfavoritewinds,sincetheweatherwaswarm,andthewindsusually
blewsteadilyinanadvantageousdirection.ColumbususedthesetosailtotheCaribbean.
Doldrums:AtabouttheequatorisIntertropicalConvergenceZoneordoldrums,aregionoflightandirregular
windbrokenbyoccasionalthunderstormsandsqualls.Thewidthandexactlocationofthedoldrumsishardto
predict.Sailingshipsaresometimesbecalmedhereformanydayswaitingforaproperwind.
Southernhemisphere:Inthesouthernhemispherethebeltsarereversed.Thesoutheasttradewindsblowfromthe
southeasttowardtheequator.Thesouthernequivalentofthehorselatitudes(orVariablesofCancer)iscalledthe
VariablesofCapricorn.ThesouthernwesterliesstartsomewhatsouthofSouthAfrica.Theytendtobestronger
thanthenorthernwesterliesbecausetheyaremostlyoverwater(roaringforties).Thesouthernpolareasterliesare
mostlyoverAntarctica.
Seasonalshifts:Allofthebeltsmovenorthduringthenorthernsummerandsouthduringthenorthernwinter.
Becauseglobalheatingandcoolinglagsbehindthepositionofthesun,theyreachtheirnorthernmostlatitudeator
aftertheendofthenorthernsummer.ThisbroughtthetradewindswithinreachoftheSpainandPortugaland
determinedthesailingtimeoftheSpanishtreasurefleet.Thenorthernmostpositionofthewindbeltscorresponds
totheAtlantichurricaneseason.

Landandseabreezes:Landgainsandlosesheatmorerapidlythanwater.Duringtheday,thelandwarmsmore
rapidlythanthewater.Theairabovelandwarms,becomesthinner,andrises,drawingcoolerairlandwardfromthe
sea.Atnight,theprocessreverses,andcoolheavyairfromthelandflowsouttosea.Theselandandseabreezes
areimportantalongthecoast.
Monsoon:Theannualequivalentofthedailylandandseabreezesistheyearlymonsoon.Duringsummer,the
continentsheatmorerapidlythantheoceans.Airoverthecontinentswarms,thinsandrisesdrawingcoolermoist
oceanairlandward,producingawetseason.Duringwinter,theprocessreversesandcold,dryheavyairflows
outwardfromthecontinents,producingadryseason.ThemonsoonismoststrikinginsouthAsiabecauseofthe
sizeoftheEurasianlandmassandbecausetheHimalayastendtobottleuptheairabovethecontinent.
ApproximationsoftheIndianmonsoonexistinotherplaces,buttheyarepoorlydeveloped.
OceanGyre:Thefactthatthewesterliesandtradewindsblow
inoppositedirectionsandthatthecontinentspreventwater
fromcirclingtheglobecontributestotheformationofcircular
oceancurrents,clockwiseinthenorthernhemisphereand
counterclockwiseinthesouthernhemisphere.TheCoriolis
forcealsoplaysapart.Thetradewindspushwaterwest.Atthe
doldrumsitflowsbackeastproducingtheequatorial
countercurrent.SeeOceangyre.
Coriolisforce,Hadleycellandotherthings:Inthenorthern
hemisphere,theCorioliseffectcauseswindandwatercurrents
tobendtotheright(clockwise).Coldheavyairflowssouth
Thefivemajoroceangyres
fromthenorthpoleandisbentwest,formingthepolar
easterlies.Warmairrisesattheequatordrawingairfromthe
northwhichbendstothewest,contributingtothetradewinds.TheCorioliseffectbendsthewesterliesandtrade
windsslightlyclockwiseinthenorthernhemisphere.
Hotairrisesatthedoldrums.Asitrises,itcoolsproducingthunderstorms.Thedryairflowsnorthatahigh
altitudeanddescendsatthehorselatitudesandflowsbacktotheequatorwiththetradewinds.Thisiscalledthe
Hadleycell.ThereisalsoaFerrelcelloverthewesterliesandapolarcelloverthepole.Thereareother
complexities,notallofwhichareproperlyunderstood.

Seealso
Atmosphericcirculation
Prevailingwind
Windsintheageofsail
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