Hadley cellFrom the equator to about 30°. Air heated at the equator rises, flows poleward high up, sinks near 30° and returns along the surface.
Ferrel cellThe mid-latitude cell, 30° to 60°. Surface air flows poleward and eastward. Air higher up flows back toward the equator.
Polar cellThe smallest and weakest cell, from about 60° to the pole. Air rises, flows poleward, sinks over the pole and spreads out at the surface.
Trade windsEasterly surface winds in the Hadley cell. They blow toward the equator from the northeast and southeast.
WesterliesThe prevailing surface winds between about 35° and 60°. They blow from the west.
Polar easterliesEast-blowing surface winds spreading out from the high pressure over the poles.
Pressure belts and jets: 5 5
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)The belt of low pressure at the equator. The trade winds meet here and warm air rises.
Subtropical highBelts of high pressure near 30° north and south. The Hadley cell's air sinks here, with light winds and dry weather.
Subpolar lowBelts of low pressure at about 50° to 60° north and south. They have rainy, stormy weather.
Subtropical jetA jet stream high in the atmosphere at about 30°. It lies above the edge between the Hadley and Ferrel cells.
Polar jetA jet stream high in the atmosphere at about 50° to 60°. It lies above the edge between the Ferrel and polar cells.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) NOAA JetStream, Global Atmospheric Circulations, https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/global-atmospheric-circulations : three cells in each hemisphere; Hadley cell (air moves toward the equator, rises, moves poleward aloft; tropical and subtropical; named for George Hadley, 1735); Ferrel cell (surface air poleward and eastward, air aloft equatorward; westerly winds between 35° and 60°); polar cell (air sinks over the poles into polar highs; polar easterlies; smallest and weakest); high pressure at about 30° and at each pole, low pressure at the equator and 50° to 60°. (2) NOAA JetStream, The Jet Stream, https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/jet-stream : the polar jet between 50° and 60°, the subtropical jet around 30°, both hemispheres. (3) Wikipedia, Atmospheric circulation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_circulation : trade winds as the easterly surface winds of the Hadley cell; the horse latitudes, high pressure at about 30° to 35°; the prevailing westerlies; the intertropical convergence zone. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
A blank Hadley cell map on one globe, seen side-on, with the equator, 30° and 60° marked. Eleven lines run out with nothing written at their ends: three cells, three surface winds, three pressure belts and two jet streams.
Both hemispheres are drawn and every part appears north and south of the equator, but its line is drawn once, on the northern half. The loops at the edge of the globe are the cells and the small circles between them are the jets. On the face, the arrows are the surface winds and the bands are the pressure belts.
For a shorter sheet, ask only the three cells and the three surface winds.
Questions and answers
How many circulation cells does the Earth have?
Six: a Hadley, a Ferrel and a polar cell in each hemisphere. With no rotation, no tilt and no surface water, warm air would rise at the equator, flow straight to the poles and sink. On the real Earth each loop becomes three.
Who is the Ferrel cell named after?
William Ferrel, who proposed it in 1856. It was the first account of the westerly winds between 35° and 60° north and south.
What are the horse latitudes?
Another name for the high pressure at about 30° to 35° north and south, where winds are light, skies are sunny and little rain falls. On the key that belt is the subtropical high.
What is left off the blank Hadley cell diagram?
The polar highs, the Coriolis effect and the seasonal shift of the belts. The atmosphere at the edge of the globe is also drawn far thicker than true, so that the three loops can be seen.