trade winds
Sailors' reliable currents
Trade winds are steady winds that blow toward the equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
They were crucial to sailing ships crossing the Atlantic, enabling reliable trade routes between Europe, Africa, and the Americas: Columbus sailed west on the trade winds.
The name reflects their commercial importance, though it may also derive from an old sense of trade meaning "path" or "course."
Winds from the east
- Coriolis effectApparent deflection on rotating bodies
- doldrumsState of inactivity
- ITCZEquatorial convergence zone
- horse latitudesSubtropical zones of calm
air mass · high pressure · low pressure · subsidence · barometric pressure · tropical climate · climate zones · monsoon
Warm equatorial region
- equatorMidpoint circle of rotation
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
- CaribbeanTropical Atlantic region
- AtlanticOcean bordering Europe
Pacific · Indian Ocean · tropical · subtropical · equatorial · Canary Islands · Azores · West Indies
Wind-propelled water travel
- navigationDetermining position and course
- marinersThose who work ships
- clipperFast ship or trimmer
- galleonLarge historical sailing ship
caravel · schooner · voyage · seafaring · rigging · tack · jib · helm
Fixed, not fluctuating
- consistentNot varying or contradicting
- reliableConsistently performing as expected
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
- constantFixed, unvarying quantity
predictable · regular · uniform · continuous · dependable · moderate · balmy · northeasterly
easterlies
Winds from the east
- Coriolis effectApparent deflection on rotating bodies
- doldrumsState of inactivity
- ITCZEquatorial convergence zone
horse latitudes · air mass · high pressure · low pressure · subsidence · barometric pressure · tropical climate · climate zones · monsoon · weather pattern
tropics
Warm equatorial region
- equatorMidpoint circle of rotation
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
- CaribbeanTropical Atlantic region
Atlantic · Pacific · Indian Ocean · tropical · subtropical · equatorial · Canary Islands · Azores · West Indies · Polynesia
sailing
Wind-propelled water travel
- navigationDetermining position and course
- marinersThose who work ships
- clipperFast ship or trimmer
galleon · caravel · schooner · voyage · seafaring · rigging · tack · jib · helm · starboard
steady
Fixed, not fluctuating
- consistentNot varying or contradicting
- reliableConsistently performing as expected
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
constant · predictable · regular · uniform · continuous · dependable · moderate · balmy · northeasterly · southeasterly
- Age of ExplorationColumbus, Marco Polo, exploration, explorers, expeditions
- island cultureHawaiian culture, seafaring, aloha, island cuisine, surfing
- Indian Ocean tradedhow, dhows, Swahili coast, Indian Ocean, Zanzibar
- wind systemswesterlies, jet stream, easterlies, wind patterns, jet streams
- named windssirocco, harmattan, bora, northeaster
- phenomenanorthern lights, eclipse, earthquake, solar eclipse, volcanic eruption