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This period was called the "dead horse" time, and it usually lasted a month or two. The seaman's ceremony was to celebrate having worked off the "dead horse" debt. As west-bound shipping from Europe usually reached the subtropics at about the time the "dead horse" was worked off, the latitude became associated with the ceremony. [2]
As a result, there is a balance of forces acting on the Earth's surface. The horse latitudes are an area of high pressure at about 30° to 35° latitude (north or south) where winds diverge into the adjacent zones of Hadley or Ferrel cells, and which typically have light winds, sunny skies, and little precipitation. [1] [2]
Variation in the location of the intertropical convergence zone 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 intertropical convergence zone can result in severe droughts or flooding in nearby areas.
Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from 23°26′09.7″ (or 23.43604°) to approximately 35° north and south. The horse latitudes lie within this range. Subtropical climates are often characterized by hot summers and mild winters with infrequent frost.
The horse latitudes, or torrid zone, [20] is roughly at the 30th parallel and is the source of warm high pressure systems. As the hot air closer to the equator rises, it cools, losing moisture; it is then transported poleward where it descends, creating the high-pressure area. [ 21 ]
NASA recommends checking Stellarium Web or the Astronomical League’s ‘Moon Occults Mars’ chart to find out the best time to see it in your area. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY.
The 30th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 30 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane.It stands one-third of the way between the equator and the North Pole and crosses Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.
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