NJROTC Academics Practice Test

The winds between 60 degrees latitude and the poles are called polar easterlies. These winds are characterized by their cold temperatures and easterly direction, resulting from the high-pressure systems that dominate the polar regions. As the air descends at the poles, it flows outward towards lower latitudes, following the Coriolis effect, which causes the wind to curve toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This dynamic creates the polar easterlies, distinct from other prevailing wind patterns.

In contrast, trade winds occur predominantly in tropical regions, flowing from east to west between the equator and about 30 degrees latitude. Westerlies, found between approximately 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blow from west to east, and monsoons refer to seasonal wind patterns primarily influenced by land-sea temperature differences, often resulting in heavy rainfall during certain seasons. Each of these wind patterns functions under different atmospheric conditions, separating them distinctly from the polar easterlies.