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The Roaring Forties are strong westerly winds that occur in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40° and 50° south. [2] The strong eastward air currents are caused by the combination of air being displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole , Earth's rotation , and the scarcity of landmasses to serve as windbreaks ...
The traditional clipper route followed the winds of the roaring forties south of the great capes. Today, the great capes feature prominently in ocean yacht racing; many races and individual sailors follow the clipper route. A circumnavigation via the great capes is considered a noteworthy achievement. [3]
The strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the roaring forties, between 40 and 50 degrees south latitude. The westerlies play an important role in carrying the warm, equatorial waters and winds to the western coasts of continents, especially in the southern hemisphere because of its vast oceanic expanse.
The 40th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 40 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, Oceania, the Pacific Ocean and South America. Its long oceanic stretches are the northern domain of the Roaring Forties.
At between about 46°–50° south of the Equator, in the region often referred to as the Roaring Forties, are the Crozet Islands, the Prince Edward Islands, Wager Island, the Bounty Islands, the Snares Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, the Antipodes Islands, and the Auckland Islands. The geography of these islands is characterized by tundra ...
The South Pole is at an altitude of 9,200 feet (2,800 m) but feels like 11,000 feet (3,400 m). [31] Centripetal force from the spin of the planet throws the atmosphere toward the equator. The South Pole is colder than the North Pole primarily because of the elevation difference and for being in the middle of a continent. [32]
The route then ran south through the western South Atlantic, following the natural circulation of winds and currents, passing close to Trindade, then curving south-east past Tristan da Cunha. [3] The route crossed the Greenwich meridian at about 40 degrees south , taking the clippers into the Roaring Forties after about 6,500 miles (10,500 km ...
Water in the Southern Ocean south of, for example, New Zealand, resembles the water in the Southern Ocean south of South America more closely than it resembles the water in the Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean has typical depths of between 4,000 and 5,000 m (13,000 and 16,000 ft) over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water.