The ITCZ is a ___ pressure belt, migrating with the thermal equator, resulting in a band of ___ precipitation around the globe.

• A. Low, Heavy
• B. High, Heavy
• C. Low, Light
• D. High, Light

Answer: (A)

The ITCZ is a low-pressure belt near the equator that moves with the thermal equator as the Sun’s rays shift north and south through the year. Where the trade winds meet, air rises. This rising warm air cools and condenses, producing frequent, heavy rainfall that forms a broad tropical rain band around the globe. Because it follows the area of maximum heating, the ITCZ migrates seasonally, moving toward the northern tropics in the northern hemisphere summer and toward the southern tropics in the southern hemisphere winter. This combination of low surface pressure and heavy convection explains why the ITCZ is associated with heavy precipitation rather than light rain.