what is the prevalent wind flow in the tropics
Prevailing winds The trade winds (also called trades) are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics near the Earth's equator,[4] equatorward of the subtropical ridge. These winds blow predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.[5] The trade winds act as the steering flow for tropical cyclones that form over world's oceans, guiding their path westward.[6] Trade winds also steer African dust westward across the Atlantic Ocean into the Caribbean sea, as well as portions of southeast North America.[7]
Tropical cyclone Most tropical cyclones form in a worldwide band of thunderstorm activity near the equator, referred to as the Intertropical Front (ITF), the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), or the monsoon trough.[60][61][62] Another important source of atmospheric instability is found in tropical waves, which contribute to the development of about 85% of intense tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and become most of the tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific.[63][64][65] The majority forms between 10 and 30 degrees of latitude away of the equator,[66] and 87% forms no farther away than 20 degrees north or south.[67][68] Because the Coriolis effect initiates and maintains their rotation, tropical cyclones rarely form or move within 5 degrees of the equator, where the effect is weakest.[67] However, it is still possible for tropical systems to form within this boundary as Tropical Storm Vamei and Cyclone Agni did in 2001 and 2004, respectively.[69][70]
Great Red Spot Careful tracking of atmospheric features revealed the spot's counter-clockwise circulation as far back as 1966, observations dramatically confirmed by the first time-lapse movies from the Voyager fly-bys.[23] The spot is confined by a modest eastward jet stream to its south and a very strong westward one to its north.[24] Though winds around the edge of the spot peak at ~120 metres per second (432 kilometres per hour), currents inside it seem stagnant, with little inflow or outflow.[25] The rotation period of the spot has decreased with time, perhaps as a direct result of its steady reduction in size.[26]
Small intestine Food from the stomach is allowed into the duodenum through the pylorus by a muscle called the pyloric sphincter.