Helena Gayle Williams age 9, of Humaroc , Mass., for her questions

Where are the horse latitudes?

Old mariners knew of a dangerous area in the North Atlantic Ocean, There the sails of their ship fell slack and loose. There was no wind to fill out the sails and carry the ship over the ocean, Often a ship was becalmed for. days and even weeks, Food, supplies and fresh water ran low as the weary sailors waited for a breeze to blow them on their way. We do not know for certain why they named this tricky region as they did, But they called it the horse latitudes.

These horse latitudes are about 30 degrees north of the equator. It is a region of high pressure, calms and light, baffling winds. From this region, the trade winds blow southeast towards the equator and the westerlies blow northwest, The two outgoing winds are fed by cool, heavy air coming down from above. This is what makes the calm and the high pressure,

There is a corresponding region south of the equator., From this area the trade winds blow northwards and the westerlies blow southwards, The latitudes are around latitudes 30 degrees north and south of the equator.