Railsback's Fundamentals of Quaternary Science Global climate zones Id: an idealized simple view Vertical Map view Climate Zones Wind Belts Precipitation cross-section and Zones Polar Cell H Polar High Dry Polar Easterlies 60°N Subpolar Lows Polar Front Rainy Ferrel L L L L Cell Temperate Westerlies Winter wet; summer dry 30°N H H H H H H Subtropical Highs Horse Latitudes Dry (anticyclones) Hadley Winter dry; summer wet Cell Easterlies Trade Tropics (Northeasterlies) Winds Intertropical L L L L L L L 0° Convergence Doldrums Rainy Zone (ITCZ) Easterlies Trade Tropics (Southeasterlies) Winds Hadley Cell Winter dry; summer wet H H H H H H 30°S Subtropical Highs Horse Latitudes Dry (anticyclones) Winter wet; summer dry Temperate Westerlies Ferrel Cell L L L L Subpolar Lows Rainy 60°S Polar Front Polar Easterlies Polar Cell H Polar High Dry The diagram above is a typical schematic repre- Atmospheric circulation is driven by rising of warm air at the the poles warms and rises at about 60° N and S, and the air that sentation of Earth's surface atmospheric pressure, equator (at the latitude of maximal solar heating) and by sinking returns aloft to the pole closes the Polar Cells. In between, the Ferrel surface winds, and tropospheric circulation. It of cold air at the poles (at the latitude of minimal heating). On Earth, Cells mirror the vertical flow at 30° and 60° N and S, with each Ferrell mimics diagrams in many introductory climatology the air that has risen from the equator sinks at about 30° N and S, Cell like a ball bearing rolled by the Hadley and Polar cells. Earth- and oceanography textbooks. Parts II to V of this and some of that air returns across Earth's surface to the equator to surface movement of air in these three kinds of cells gives the surface series expand on this theme in a little more detail. close the Hadley Cells. The air that has sunk and moved out from winds belts shown here. LBR 2/2013 FQSGlobalClimateZonesIc02.odg.