Knowra Subtropics Subtropics The geographic regions between the tropics and temperate zones, generally characterized by warm climates and mild winters. Their boundaries vary with climate, latitude, and local geography.
Hadley cell : A tropical atmospheric circulation cell in which air rises near the equator and sinks in the subtropics. Its descending air creates many of the subtropics’ dry, stable conditions.
Mediterranean climate : A climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, found mainly on western continental margins. It is a distinctive subtropical climate shaped by shifting pressure belts and winter storms.
Tropics : The region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the Sun can be directly overhead. The subtropics lie poleward of the tropics, but their climate boundaries do not exactly follow the tropic lines.
Desertification : The degradation of dryland ecosystems through climatic variation and human activities. Subtropical drylands are vulnerable where water scarcity combines with land-use pressures.
Subtropical ridge : A belt of persistent high atmospheric pressure near 30° latitude in both hemispheres. This high-pressure belt shapes the clear skies and aridity common in subtropical regions.
Humid subtropical climate : A climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters, often receiving rainfall throughout the year. This climate occurs in many subtropical regions on the eastern sides of continents.
Temperate zone : The broad midlatitude region between the tropics and polar zones, generally marked by stronger seasonal temperature variation. It is the poleward climatic neighbor against which subtropical warmth and milder winters are often defined.
Drought : A prolonged period of unusually low water availability relative to local conditions. Persistent subtropical high pressure can contribute to severe and recurring drought.
Trade winds : Persistent tropical winds that blow toward the equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. Their circulation connects subtropical high-pressure zones with tropical weather systems.
Subtropical desert : A desert found largely beneath subtropical high-pressure belts, where descending air suppresses rainfall. It shows how subtropical atmospheric circulation can produce extreme aridity.
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