The latitudes are the imaginary lines we use for knowing the coordinates of the islands or countries on the earth. If we talk about the geography of the earth.
Around 70percent of the earth has water, and 40percent is seawater. Both the region’s doldrums and horse latitudes are the regions that are found in the oceans of the earth.
Doldrums vs Horse Latitudes
The difference between Doldrums and Horse latitudes is their location in the sea. His doldrums have calm wind, whereas the horse latitudes have heavy winds. The doldrums air has moisture in it. Whereas the horse latitudes have dry air. The doldrum is situated around the five-degree north and south, whereas the horse latitudes have coordinates thirty degrees north and south.
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The doldrums is also known as the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. The coordinates of 20°N and 20°S present near the equator.
The doldrum has windless water, and because of this, the boats spend almost weeks in this area. The region is present near the equator.
Therefore, it encounters heat.
The horse latitudes are also called highs and subtropical ridges. These areas have high pressure and precipitate that arises from the doldrums.
The coordinates of the latitudes 30°- 35° N and 30°- 35° S.The name of this region horse latitudes was kept because of the story of the sailors where they had to through the horses for surviving in that area.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Doldrums | Horse Latitudes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The doldrums is the belt that is present on the equator and has windless currents in waters. | The horse latitudes are present in the equator region which arises from the doldrums belt hot airs. |
| Coordinates | The coordinates of doldrums 20°N and 20°S which sometimes changes to 5°N and 5°S. | The coordinates of the horse latitudes are 30°-35° N and 30°-35° S. |
| Other names | The doldrums is called Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone also called “ITCZ”. | The horse latitudes are also called highs and subtropical ridges. |
| Temperature | The doldrums have a hot climate as it is present on the equator. | The horse latitudes have an arid climate. |
| Wind Temperature | The wind is dry and has moisture in it as the heat vapourize the air. | The winds are mostly dry and convergences at the pole or the equator. |
| Wind direction | The wind movement is upwards in the direction. | The wind movement towards the poles is called westerlies whereas the movements towards the equator are called tradewinds. |
What is Doldrums?
The doldrums was also known as the doldrums belt. More specifically, it is the name. It was given to the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, also called “ITCZ”.
The doldrums belts are situated around the equator. The equator is the center of the earth.
The doldrums are the Low-Pressure Belt. The coordinates of the doldrum are 20°N and 20°S which sometimes changes to 5°N and 5°S.
This is the region that is problematic for the Sailors. The boats get stuck in this area because it is a windless area.
This doldrum belt is attached to the trade seas. It is not attached with one but is attached with two trade seas.
The region has very calm movements of winds. As the doldrum was near the equator, it encountered intense heat.
The heat makes the wind light which gets collected up in the atmosphere. Therefore, having calm air and windless water.
The doldrums have an upward wind direction because of hot air. This is the reason that sailors get stuck in the water for weeks.
The vaporizing and collection of air in the atmosphere leads to the horse latitude.
What is Horse Latitudes?
The horse latitudes are also known as the highs and subtropical ridges. These latitudes have high-pressure winds and therefore, leading a lot of pressure on the boats that sail from this area.
The region also has precipitate along with the dry air.
The horse latitude’s name came from a story. Once, the sailors went to export horses through boats.
As the area had high pressure, the ships got stuck and to conserve the water and food on the ship, they had to throw the horse out of the boats.
These horses were resailed after some time as they were unable to make that delivery. Therefore, the region was called horse latitudes.
The horse latitudes are also found near the equator. The latitude is present around the subtropical atmospheric high-pressure belts, which have altitudes of 30°-35° N and 30°-35° S.
The area is produced because of the collection of hot air in the atmosphere that rises from the doldrum belt.
The horse latitudes have dry air and an arid climate. This area winds either flow to the poles or towards the equator.
The winds flowing towards the poles are known as westerlies, whereas the winds towards the equator are called the trade winds. This wind flowing leads to high pressure, sunny sky, and calm winds.
Main Differences Between Doldrums and Horse Latitudes
- The doldrums are called the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, and horse latitudes are called highs and subtropical ridges.
- The doldrums coordinates are the 20°N and 20°S, and horse latitudes are 30°-35°N and S.
- The doldrums have moisture in the air, whereas the horse latitude has dry air.
- The horse latitudes sometimes have the presence of the precipitate, whereas the doldrums didn’t have precipitate.
- The horse latitudes have high pressure, whereas doldrums is the low-pressure area.
- The wind direction in doldrums is upward, whereas the wind has two convergences, either at the poles or at the equator.
- The temperature is high at the doldrums as compared to the horse latitudes.
- http://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletin-de-la-societe-belge-de-geologie/093%20-%201984/bsbg_93_1984_p189-195.pdf
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=6OxTCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=horse+latitudes&ots=mJ9uogzluI&sig=SjzM_Os0k9VwgpyIypfdFcr2h7I
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
