How could you expect air currents to change as you travel from 15°S latitude to 15°N latitude?

Globe with horizontal lines demonstrating lines of latitude

(1 point)
Responses

Convection pattern
Convection pattern

Jet stream
Jet stream

Air current directions
Air current directions

Wind directions
Wind directions
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1 answer

As you travel from 15°S latitude to 15°N latitude, you can expect several changes in air currents due to the Coriolis effect and the general circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. Here’s an overview of what to expect:

  1. Convection pattern: The movement of warm air rising and cool air sinking will continue, but the location of these convection cells can change. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is typically located near the equator and shifts slightly north and south with the seasons, which influences convection patterns.

  2. Jet stream: The position of the jet streams can shift with the change in latitude. Jet streams tend to be located at higher altitudes and can influence weather patterns, moving northward as you cross the equator.

  3. Air current directions: The direction of air currents is affected by the Coriolis effect, which causes winds to rotate differently in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the Southern Hemisphere, winds rotate counterclockwise around low-pressure systems, while in the Northern Hemisphere, they rotate clockwise.

  4. Wind directions: Similarly, as you move from 15°S to 15°N, the prevailing wind patterns (trade winds) may shift due to the changes in pressure systems and the Coriolis effect, with the northeast trade winds becoming more pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere.

Overall, you would observe alterations in convection patterns, shifts in the position of the jet streams, and changes in the directions of air currents and wind patterns as you cross the equator from south to north.