TROPICAL METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE | Intertropical Convergence Zone

Abstract

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) lies in the equatorial trough, a permanent low-pressure feature where surface trade winds, laden with heat and moisture, converge to form a zone of increased convection, cloudiness, and precipitation. The latent heat released in the ITCZ is critical to the atmospheric energy budget and ITCZ cloudiness provides an important contribution to the planetary albedo. The ITCZ’s position, structure, and migration influence ocean–atmosphere and land–atmosphere interactions on a local scale, the circulation of the tropical oceans on a basin scale, and a number of features of the Earth’s climate on a global scale.