48. Discuss the various patterns of prevailing wind in each area of latitude (low, middle, high)

--I posted this yesterday and bobpursley told me I had some wrong information so I fixed up the essay a bit. Is it OK?

The air movements toward the equator are called trade winds- hot, steady breezes that blow almost constantly. The Coriolis Effect makes the trade winds curve to the west, whether they are traveling to the equator from the south or north. The trade winds coming from the south and the north meet near the equator. These converging trade winds produce general upward winds as they are heated, so there are no steady surface winds. This area of calm is called the doldrums.
Between thirty and sixty degrees latitude, the winds that move toward the poles seem to curve to the east. Because winds are named from the direction in which they originate, these winds are called prevailing westerlies. At about sixty degrees latitude in both hemispheres, the prevailing westerlies join with polar easterlies to decrease rising motion. They begin at the poles, the cold air flows South, but the rotation of the Earth (as we see in the Coriolis effect) turns Southern going things to the West. As they turn to the west, a person facing the wind will think it came from the East. That is the origin of the name, folks at high latitudes around say 60N, see the wind from the East, but folks further North, see it from the North. However, not many folks live that far North.

Thanks
-MC

Your revised explanation is generally accurate, but there are a few points that require further clarification.

In the low latitudes, usually referred to as between 0 and 30 degrees, the prevailing winds are known as trade winds. These winds blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. The trade winds are caused by the large temperature difference between the equator and the poles, creating a pressure gradient that drives air from high pressure at the poles to low pressure at the equator. The Coriolis effect, which is the apparent deflection of wind due to Earth's rotation, causes the trade winds to curve to the west.

As you mentioned, the trade winds from the north and south converge near the equator, resulting in a region of calm called the doldrums. In the doldrums, there is little to no wind because the converging trade winds create upward motion, forming an area of low pressure where air rises instead of flowing horizontally.

Moving to the middle latitudes, roughly between 30 and 60 degrees, the prevailing wind pattern changes. The winds in this region are called prevailing westerlies because they generally blow from the west to the east. This reversal in wind direction is primarily influenced by the Coriolis effect and the rotation of the Earth. These winds are also known for their consistent strength and are responsible for much of the weather movement in this zone.

At around 60 degrees latitude, the prevailing westerlies interact with the polar easterlies, which are winds that flow from the east near the poles. This interaction leads to a decrease in rising motion, and the winds start to shift towards the poles. It's important to note that the prevailing westerlies tend to be stronger than the polar easterlies.

In summary, the prevailing wind patterns can be categorized into trade winds at low latitudes, prevailing westerlies at middle latitudes, and polar easterlies at high latitudes. Remember that the Coriolis effect plays a significant role in the direction and curvature of these winds.