Which surface wind pattern forms within the Hadley cells around 15 degrees latitude, blowing from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere?

Which surface wind pattern forms within the Hadley cells around 15 degrees latitude, blowing from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere?

• A. Trade Winds
• B. Doldrums
• C. Westerlies
• D. Polar Easterlies

Answer: (C)

The winds described are the trade winds, which form within the Hadley cell circulation in the tropical region. In this zone, intense solar heating causes air to rise near the equator, then move poleward aloft and sink around 30° latitude, creating a subtropical high. To complete the loop, air at the surface moves from these high-pressure areas toward the equator. As this surface flow travels toward the equator, it is deflected by the Coriolis effect: to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, producing northeast winds, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, producing southeast winds. So around 15° latitude, you get steady surface winds blowing from the northeast in the north and from the southeast in the south—the classic trade winds. These are distinct from the Westerlies, which occur farther poleward and blow from west to east, from mid-latitudes; the doldrums, where winds are weak near the equator; and the Polar Easterlies, which are near the poles.

The winds described are the trade winds, which form within the Hadley cell circulation in the tropical region. In this zone, intense solar heating causes air to rise near the equator, then move poleward aloft and sink around 30° latitude, creating a subtropical high. To complete the loop, air at the surface moves from these high-pressure areas toward the equator. As this surface flow travels toward the equator, it is deflected by the Coriolis effect: to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, producing northeast winds, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, producing southeast winds. So around 15° latitude, you get steady surface winds blowing from the northeast in the north and from the southeast in the south—the classic trade winds. These are distinct from the Westerlies, which occur farther poleward and blow from west to east, from mid-latitudes; the doldrums, where winds are weak near the equator; and the Polar Easterlies, which are near the poles.