Why do the trade winds blow towards the equator?
In: Earth Science
The equator is, on average, hotter than anywhere else on Earth. Hot air tends to rise, so this means that air there tends to rise away from the surface. This means there’s less air at surface level, creating a semi-permanent low-pressure band called the *intertropical convergence zone*, or ITCZ for short. The ITCZ actually alternates about 10 degrees north and south of the equator with the seasons.
Winds blow towards low pressure, which means the flow on either side of the equator tends to be towards the ITCZ. Note that this flow is at the surface – aloft, the rising air at the equator creates *high* pressure that pushes air *away* from the equator. But as humans live on the surface, we mostly care about surface flow.
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