Question

hypothesis about the three major zones of global air circulation

Answer 1

zones of global air circulation:

• Hadley cell
• ferrel cell
• polar cell

Hadley cell

In the Hadley cell air should move north to south, but it is deflected to the right by Coriolis. So the air blows from northeast to the southwest. This belt is the trade winds, so called because at the time of sailing ships they were good for trade.

ferrel cell

In the Ferrel cell air should move south to north, but the winds actually blow from the southwest. This belt is the westerly winds or westerlies.

polar cell

Finally, in the Polar cell, the winds travel from the northeast and are called the polar easterlies. The wind belts are named for the directions from which the winds come. The westerly winds, for example, blow from west to east. These names hold for the winds in the wind belts of the Southern Hemisphere as well.