Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Air rises at the equator, drops at about 30 degrees and returns along the surface. The figure is taken from Met Office, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a science fact?

Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

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Hadley cells drive the trade winds

Air rises at the equator, drops at about 30 degrees and returns along the surface Strong equatorial sunlight heats air, which rises and releases rain as it cools. Aloft it spreads poleward, sinks around 30 degrees latitude and flows back toward the equator. Earth's rotation deflects that return flow into the steady northeast and southeast trades. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Met Office

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: weather, winds, atmosphere

Hadley cells drive the trade winds: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Air rises at the equator, drops at about 30 degrees and returns along the surface. The figure is taken from Met Office, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.