Question

Which of the following statements is true regarding the high-pressure subtropical belt?
a. The warm air that ascends at the equator cools down and sinks here.
b. The air from 60 degrees north-60 degrees south of the equator also descends here to create a high-pressure region.
c. The temperature in this latitude is low, so the expansion and ascent of air are minimal.
d. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint:
The subtropical highs or the horse latitudes are the latitudes between 30 and 35 degrees north and south. It is a region with high pressure with variable winds. In this region, cloud formation and precipitation get suppressed under high pressure.

Complete solution:
 The subtropical high region experiences calm winds along with haze in the daytime and fogs overnight. The belt of subtropical highs is found in both the northern and the southern hemispheres of the earth. In the southern hemisphere, this belt is referred to as ‘calms of Capricorn’ whereas in the northern hemisphere it is referred to as ‘calms of cancer’. As it is a high-pressure region, the world's most deserts exist in this region which are the Sahara desert in Africa, Mojave and Sonoran desert in the United States and Mexico, Australian desert in the southern hemisphere.

The Atacama Desert and Kalahari desert, and the Arabian and Syrian deserts in the middle east. The climate of the region is extremely dry and warm which makes it difficult for people to inhabit this region thus, it is a less inhabited region. The heating of Earth near the equator gives rise to warm air which goes towards the mid of both northern and southern hemispheres. As the air moves upwards it cools and sinks and thus the subtropical high-pressure belts are formed in both the hemispheres.

Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Note:
The subtropical ridges in the Pacific Ocean bring the monsoon in Asia along with northward monsoon moisture and thunderstorms. These extend to the United States to begin monsoon thee in July.