Intertropical Convergence Zone it is sometimes referred to as a monsoon trough, a usage more common in Australia and parts of Asia. In the seamen's speech, the zone is referred to as the doldrums because of its erratic (monotonous) weather patterns with stagnant calms and violent thunderstorms. The ITCZ appears as a band of clouds, usually thunderstorms, that encircle the globe near the Equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the trade winds move in a southwestward direction from the northeast, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they move northwestward from the southeast. When the ITCZ is positioned north or south of the Equator, these directions
Asymmetry of the Intertropical Convergence Zone the geometries of the continents. According to observations, the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) of ITCZ in the Northern Hemisphere is higher than the same latitude in the Southern Hemisphere. The asymmetry of ITCZ is triggered by the asymmetric SST distribution, which has been verified by General Circulation Model (GCM). What is more, because the Cross Equator SST Gradient (CESG) is southward, the cross equator northward wind, which decelerates trade winds north of the equator and accelerates those south of the equator due to Coriolis force, is originated. Thus the evaporation of the northern tropics is weakened, thereby cooling down the