Asymmetry of the Intertropical Convergence Zone Asymmetry of the Intertropical Convergence Zone There are a number of explanations of the asymmetry of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), known by sailors as The Doldrums. The ITCZ would be expected to overlie the geographic equator according to symmetric solar radiation. However, the ITCZ is mostly perennial in the northern hemisphere and in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It was originally explained by the asymmetrical distribution of continents. However, the distribution of land and ocean is severely asymmetric in the Indian Ocean, yet the ITCZ moves back and forth there between the southern and northern hemispheres. Continents surround
Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone The Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone (DCVZ) is an orographically-induced atmospheric phenomenon characterized by convergent winds east of the Denver metropolitan area, typically 50 to 100 km in length and oriented in a north-south direction. This meteorological feature was subject to academic scrutiny following a large outbreak of Denver-area tornadoes in 1981 and has been used to explain the propensity of the area to spawn landspout (misocyclone) and supercell (mesocyclone) tornadoes. The DCVZ is often associated with the Denver Cyclone effect, although the Denver Cyclone is considered a distinct atmospheric phenomenon by some scientists. DCVZ conditions form