Download Horse Latitudes The horse latitudes are located at about 30 latitude

Horse Latitudes
The horse latitudes are located at about 30 latitude, both north and south of the equator. This line
marks an area of high pressure that circles the globe. This line of high pressure is also called a
subtropical high. The air is warm and dry, and the winds are very calm. The horse latitudes lie
between the currents of wind that flow toward the equator (the trade winds) or toward the poles (the
westerlies).
The hot and dry weather conditions led to the formation of many well-known deserts. The Sahara
desert in Africa is located in the horse latitudes north of the equator. The Kalahari desert and the
Australian desert are both located in the horse latitudes south of the equator.
(Fun Fact: The horse latitudes got their name because of the problems that they caused for sailors.
Because the wind is so calm – and sometimes stops blowing for days at a time – sailors’ boats would
slow down or even stop. To make the ships less heavy (in order to get them moving again), the sailors
would throw horses overboard. That’s one way to lighten the load!)
Doldrums
The doldrums are another thin line of unusually calm, light winds and warm weather. The doldrums
are located along the line of the equator, between the trade winds north and south of the equator.
The winds in the doldrums are very weak, and the weather is unusually calm. The low-pressure
doldrums are caused by the warm air at the equator rising and flowing north and south.
Although the doldrums themselves are calm, the hot, wet air masses that rise from them can cause
monsoons during the rainy season.
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