Important Terms
Trade Winds (Easterlies) - the winds that dominate the tropics, blowing away from the subtropical high pressure toward the Intertropical Convergence Zone. They are predominantly northeast winds in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast winds in the Southern Hemisphere. They act within the tropical and subtropical regions to move the air of different temperatures. (picture)
Southern Oscillation - an inter-annual see-saw in tropical sea level pressure between the eastern and western hemispheres
ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation) and ENSO cycle - used to describe the full range of variability observed in the strength of the trade winds, includes El Nino and La Nina
Jet Stream – a 3-dimensional river of relatively fast moving air, typically several hundred kilometers wide and a few thousand meters thick. Two examples are the subtropical jet stream and the polar jet stream. The Jet Streams help to move warm and cold air masses to regulate the temperature and pressure of the Earth. (picture)