Itcz

[crazybob]

Newbie here.

I've seen the ITCZ mentioned/graphed on the NHC site ever since I first logged on and wonder the significance/concern about this feature.

Thx

[Jason234]

OK here we go...the ITCZ stands for inter-tropical convergence zone. It's located between the tropic of caner and the tropic of capricorn depending on the time of year, and subsquently the season. Disturbacnes on Africa form due to this convergence from the baroclinicity (temperature change) of Africa with it's Jungles and Deserts rather close to each other. The prevailing winds (the easterlies) carry the disturbacne along this convergence zone, and sometimes enhance development depending on other factors, mainly latitude of it. Generally the higher latitude wise the ITCZ ends up every season gives storms a greater chance of storms surviving, and thus is readily used in making perdictions on how active the season is. Also the highest SST's are located on this line, but that is dependent also on different ocean currents and what not...

[crazybob]

Is it making a leap in logic that storms or waves or lows may follow this "highway" from the coast of Africa till the coriolis (sp.) spits them out or other weather forces them into that reverse track into the north atlantic. And is that interface between the jungle and desert what "creates" the waves that we see coming across......or am I simplifying it too much?

thx.