What direction do trade winds go?

Asked by: Lauren Parker

This is called the Coriolis Effect. The Coriolis Effect, in combination with an area of high pressure, causes the prevailing winds—the trade winds—to move from east to west on both sides of the equator across this 60-degree “belt.”

Which way are trade winds deflected?

toward the west

The surface air that flows from these subtropical high-pressure belts toward the Equator is deflected toward the west in both hemispheres by the Coriolis effect. These winds blow predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.

Which direction do trade winds push ocean currents?

east to west

In the Northern Hemisphere, for example, predictable winds called trade winds blow from east to west just above the equator. The winds pull surface water with them, creating currents. As these currents flow westward, the Coriolis effect—a force that results from the rotation of the Earth—deflects them.

Does wind move east to west or west to east?

The result is the wind moves faster than the earth rotates so it moves from west to east (relative to us at the surface).

What direction do ocean currents flow?

As a result, ocean currents move clockwise (anticyclonically) in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise (cyclonically) in the Southern Hemisphere; Coriolis force deflects them about 45° from the wind direction, and at the Equator there would be no apparent horizontal deflection.

What is north east trade wind?

(Physical Geography) a wind blowing obliquely towards the equator either from the northeast in the N hemisphere or the southeast in the S hemisphere, approximately between latitudes 30° N and S, forming part of the planetary wind system.

Why do ocean currents go clockwise?

Currents are influenced by the rotation of the Earth called the Coriolis Effect, which causes currents to flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

What direction do ocean currents flow along the equator and why?

Trade winds drive both North and South Equatorial Currents westward, thus transporting warm ocean-surface waters in that direction. Equatorial Counter Currents and Equatorial Under Currents return some warm waters eastward.

Which direction do winds and currents move in the Northern Hemisphere?

The Coriolis effect bends the direction of surface currents to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere. The Coriolis effect causes winds and currents to form circular patterns. The direction that they spin depends on the hemisphere that they are in.

Where are the trade winds?

The trade winds can be found about 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Right at the equator there is almost no wind at all—an area sometimes called the doldrums.

Why do the south east trade winds get deflected when they cross the equator?

The low pressure land system attracts south-east trade winds but after crossing equator due to Coriolis force (Ferrel’s law is followed by Coriolis force according to which any moving mass in the rotating system like earth experiences a force that deflects it towards right in northern hemisphere and to the left in …

Where do south east trade winds originate from?

Answer: The warm subtropical parts of the southern oceans are where these southeast trade winds originate. They cross the equator and blow in a south-westerly direction, bringing the south-west monsoon to the Indian peninsula. These winds deliver a lot of moisture to the subcontinent since they blow across warm oceans.

Where do the north east trade winds originate?

Question: Where do the northeast trade winds come from? Answer: Northeast trade winds originate more from the direction of the poles in the Northern Hemisphere while southeast trade winds in the Southern Hemisphere.

What is south west trade wind?

south west trade winds – 1. the blow in the month of summer from southeast direction from Indian ocean.

Where do the northeast and southeast trade winds meet?

Detailed Solution. The southeast trade winds in the southern hemisphere and the northeast trade winds in the northern hemisphere meet each other near the equator. The meeting place of these winds is known as the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

What are southeast and the northeast trade winds?

The trade winds do not blow directly toward the equator. Because the Earth is rotating, they are deflected. In the northern hemisphere, they blow from the northeast and are called the northeast trade winds. In the southern hemisphere, they blow from the southeast and are called the southeast trade winds.

What are trade winds called in the Southern Hemisphere?

Trade winds can be defined as the wind that flows towards the equator from the north-east in the Northern Hemisphere or from the south-east in the Southern Hemisphere. These are also known as tropical easterlies and are known for their consistency in force and direction.