Why does the ITCZ move further north of the equator during our summer than it moves south of the equator during the Southern Hemispheres summer?

Why does the ITCZ move further north of the equator during our summer than it moves south of the equator during the Southern Hemispheres summer?

The position of the ITCZ varies predictably throughout the year. Although it remains near the equator, the ITCZ moves farther north or south over land than over the oceans because it is drawn toward areas of the warmest surface temperatures.

How ITCZ is formed?

The ITCZ is formed by vertical motion largely appearing as convective activity of thunderstorms driven by solar heating, which effectively draw air in; these are the trade winds. The ITCZ is effectively a tracer of the ascending branch of the Hadley cell and is wet. The dry descending branch is the horse latitudes.

What does ITCZ affect our weather?

Seasonal shifts in the location of the ITCZ drastically affects rainfall in many equatorial nations, resulting in the wet and dry seasons of the tropics rather than the cold and warm seasons of higher latitudes. Longer term changes in the ITCZ can result in severe droughts or flooding in nearby areas.

Why does the ITCZ shift more to the north of the equator in July but more south in January?

The ITCZ has a mean position north of the equator because there is much more landmass in the Northern Hemisphere as compared to the Southern Hemisphere. Look at a globe and notice how much more land there is in the tropics in the Northern Hemisphere. Land heats more than water.

What countries are affected by ITCZ?

The ITCZ is a very large feature which circles the globe. It affects many tropical areas around the world including territories in the southern Caribbean. The ITCZ is not stationary. It moves north of the equator during the northern hemisphere summer, bringing heavy rain to Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

What kind of weather does the ITCZ bring?

The ITCZ follows the sun in that the position varies seasonally. It moves north in the Northern Hemisphere summer and south in the Northern Hemisphere winter. Therefore, the ITCZ is responsible for the wet and dry seasons in the tropics.

How does the ITCZ influence rainfall?

What do you understand by ITCZ?

The Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, is the region that circles the Earth, near the equator, where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together. The intense sun and warm water of the equator heats the air in the ITCZ, raising its humidity and making it buoyant.

What causes the ITCZ to migrate north and south of the equator?

It exists because of the convergence of the trade winds. In the northern hemisphere the northeast trade winds converge with southeast winds from the Southern Hemisphere. The point at which the trade winds converge forces the air up into the atmosphere, forming the ITCZ.

What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ICZ)?

This page contains archived content and is no longer being updated. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science. The Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, is the region that circles the Earth, near the equator, where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together.

Why is the Intertropical Convergence Zone called the doldrums?

Sailors refer to the Intertropical Convergence Zone as doldrums because the belt lacks horizontal air movement since the warm air simply rises. The ITCZ is not static, in that inconsistent location around the equator characterizes it. Different places receive varying heat energy amounts as the earth rotates with the seasons.

How does the equator affect the ITCZ?

The intense sun and warm water of the equator heats the air in the ITCZ, raising its humidity and making it buoyant. Aided by the convergence of the trade winds, the buoyant air rises. As the air rises it expands and cools, releasing the accumulated moisture in an almost perpetual series of thunderstorms.

How does the ITCZ affect counties in the tropics?

Countries within the Tropics rely on the rainfall that occurs with the arrival of the ITCZ, which means that they can be severely affected by an unnaturally long stay or absence.