Mid-latitudes
Encyclopedia
The mid-latitudes are the areas on earth between the tropics and the polar region
s, approximately 30° to 60° north or south of the equator
. The mid-latitudes are an important region in meteorology
, having weather
patterns which are generally distinct from weather in the tropics and the polar regions. Weather front
s and extratropical cyclone
s are usually found in this area, as well as occasional tropical cyclones which have traveled from their areas of formation closer to the equator.
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
s, approximately 30° to 60° north or south of the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
. The mid-latitudes are an important region in meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
, having weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
patterns which are generally distinct from weather in the tropics and the polar regions. Weather front
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
s and extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
s are usually found in this area, as well as occasional tropical cyclones which have traveled from their areas of formation closer to the equator.