As you travel from 15° south latitude to 50° north latitude, you would expect several changes in air currents, largely influenced by the convection patterns, jet streams, and overall wind directions. Here’s a breakdown of these changes:
1. Convection Patterns:
- Hadley Cells: Near the equator (around 15° S), strong solar heating leads to the creation of Hadley cells, where warm air rises, cools, and descends around 30° latitude (the subtropical high). As you move towards 50° N, you transition to the Ferrel cell, where the air is more variable and influenced by both tropical and polar air masses.
- Mid-Latitude Convection: At 50° N, the convection patterns are influenced by the meeting of warm tropical air from the south and cold polar air from the north. This leads to more dynamic and fluctuating weather patterns, often associated with mid-latitude cyclones.
2. Jet Stream:
- Subtropical Jet Stream: At 15° S, the subtropical jet stream can influence air movements by moving from west to east, predominantly at higher altitudes. As you move northward, the position of the jet stream shifts.
- Polar Jet Stream: By the time you reach 50° N, you encounter the polar jet stream which is located at the boundary of the cold polar air and the warmer mid-latitude air. The polar jet stream is more dynamic and can oscillate significantly, influencing weather patterns such as storm tracks and temperature fluctuations in the mid-latitudes.
3. Air Current Directions:
- Trade Winds: In the southern hemisphere around 15° S, trade winds blow from east to west (easterly winds). These winds are predominant between the equator and about 30° latitude.
- Westerlies: As you move to the northern hemisphere and reach 50° N, the prevailing winds shift to westerlies, which blow from west to east. They are part of the Ferrel cell circulation and are typically more prevalent in the mid-latitudes.
4. Wind Directions:
- Surface Winds: The shift from easterly trade winds in the tropics to westerly winds in the mid-latitudes denotes a significant change in wind direction. The transition can also bring changes in local weather events, such as increased storminess in the mid-latitudes due to the interaction of different air masses.
- Influences of Geography: Geography (land vs. ocean, mountains, etc.) will also influence wind directions and air currents as you approach 50° N, often leading to variations and localized wind patterns.
Summary:
Overall, as you travel from 15° S to 50° N, you transition from warm, rising air in the tropics under the influence of the Hadley cell to more variable and dynamic air currents in mid-latitudes under the influence of the Ferrel cell and polar air masses. The predominant wind patterns change from east-to-west (trade winds) to west-to-east (westerlies), and the jet stream becomes more significant in influencing weather patterns and air currents.