Dennis Gondeks age 13, of Sioux, Iowa, for his question:

Where do the trade winds blow?

The trade winds blow in two belts around the wide waist of the world. They blow from the east in a steady stream day and night. Because the curved surface of the earth is rotating, these winds from the east are twisted. The trade winds north of the equator blow from the northeast. The trade winds south of the equator blow from the southeast.

The two trade wind belts begin at latitudes 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator. At the equator, the opposite winds meet and we have a region of calm, rising air. Latitude 30 degrees north cuts through the southern part of the United States, North of Jacksonville, Florida, the prevailing winds are the westerlies. South of Jacksonville, near latitude 30 degrees north, the prevailing winds are the northeast trade winds.