Why do tropical rainforests occur along the equator and world deserts occur near 30° N&S latitudes?
The equatorial area is hot because sunlight is concentrated over a smaller surface area. Surface winds of two Hadley cells also converge in this area producing an equatorial low called the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Strong heating in the ITCZ causes surface air to expand and rise. The humid, rising, expanding air loses moisture as rain, some of which contributes to the success of tropical rain forests.
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Sinking air, in contrast, is generally arid. World deserts of both hemispheres, dry bands centered around 30° N&S latitudes, mark the intersection of the Hadley and Ferrel cells. Air falls toward Earth's surface in these areas, causing compressional heating. Because evaporation is higher than precipitation in these areas, ocean-surface salinity tends to be highest at these latitudes.
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