Notes on Pressure Belts

Pressure belts are the natural phenomenon for which different types of air pressure on the earth’s surface can be experienced in different zones of the earth. The air pressure is completely dependent on the temperature and the height. Also, there is a windblown factor with the help of these pressure belts.

Depending on these factors, there are different pressure belts around the earth. Along with those pressure belts, it can be determined about the temperature, height, and wind flow of that region. Also, it is a great factor that all the pressure belts have been arranged alternatively on the earth’s surface.

Pressure Belts

Pressure belts are those regions on the earth’s surface where the same pressure is distributed based on the latitudes. These pressure belts are prepared due to pressure cells, which are high or low. 

These high or low-pressure cells create high-pressure belts or low-pressure belts, respectively. These High or low-pressure belts are always arranged in an alternative manner. 

Pressure belts of the earth are based on temperature and altitudes. These indifferently vary with the air pressure on the earth’s surface. So, the higher the temperature or the altitude, the lower the pressure will be.

Different Air Pressures

There are two different air pressures in the earth’s atmosphere. They are high air pressure and low air pressure. Based on these, the air pressure belts of the earth have been created. Depending on the high or low-pressure cell, the air pressure gets created. Naturally, the air pressure will be higher for a high-pressure cell, and for a low-pressure cell, the air pressure will be lower. Also, some other factors affect the type of air pressure.

Factors Affecting Pressure Belts

Like all other natural phenomena, Air pressure also has some factors in creating pressure belts. Two factors cause different types of air pressure on the earth’s surface. These two factors are height or altitudes and temperature.

The air pressure indirectly varies with the temperature and the height or the altitude. The difference between the earth’s surface creates different air pressure.

Temperature

This is one of the most important factors affecting the air pressure on the earth’s surface. If the temperature of a place is higher, the pressure will get lower. There are different air pressure belts on the earth’s surface. The zone near the equator gets a low-pressure belt, whereas the polar areas get a high-pressure belt, as the equator has a higher temperature than the polar areas.

Height or Altitude

This is another factor for different air pressure in different areas on the earth’s surface. As the altitudes get more, the air pressure becomes less. This is why the air pressure on the sea surface is always the maximum. And this pressure decreases as the height increases gradually. This is also called the vertical property of air pressure.

Different Pressure Belts

There are many different regions, different temperature zones, different altitudes, and different types of land structures. So, it is obvious that there will be different pressure belts on the earth’s surface. Depending on the temperature and the region on the earth, these pressure zones have been divided into seven different ones.

• Low-pressure belts in the equator region, as the temperature of this place is comparatively higher than any other region of the earth, this zone has a high-pressure belt. This zone is from 5oN to 5oS. 
• Then comes the Subtropical pressure belts, which are high-pressure belts. These belts are also known as horse latitudes between 25o to 35o in both hemispheres. The surface in this region has mostly the sea, which makes the pressure higher and the air dry.
• Subpolar pressure belts from the pressure belt diagram are low-pressure zones. As one warm air and one cold air from the polar areas get attached to this zone, that makes this zone a low-pressure zone, and this zone is prone to many cyclones. 60o to 65o latitude of each hemisphere comes under these pressure belts.
• The last one is the polar pressure belt. This is a higher-pressure belt. These pressure belts can be found on both the poles of the earth. Both the poles are the coldest area of the earth, so the air pressure must be higher.

Conclusion

The pressure belts are the places with the same pressure on the earth’s surface. These bels get created due to the temperature on the earth’s surface and the height of the surface. Based on these two factors, there are 7 pressure belts; among them, 3 are low pressure, and 4 have high pressure. All these pressure belts are arranged alternatively.