Definition

Noun: 1. Persistent winds in the Earth's upper atmosphere: The antitrades are a belt of westerly winds found in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, typically at altitudes above the trade winds. 2. Opposing flow to surface winds: They blow in a direction generally opposite to the trade winds, which are the persistent easterly surface winds found in the tropics.

Usage

The term "antitrades" is used almost exclusively in the context of meteorology and climatology to describe a specific atmospheric circulation pattern. - The existence of the antitrades helps complete the atmospheric circulation cell in the tropics. - Sailors in the age of exploration were primarily concerned with the trade winds, not the antitrades high above them.

Advanced Usage

• Conceptual Role: In scientific descriptions, the antitrades are often discussed as the return flow of the Hadley Cell circulation, carrying air poleward and eastward after it has risen near the equator.
  • The model illustrates how the antitrades transport heat away from the equatorial region.

Variants and Related Words

• Trade Winds (n): The persistent easterly surface winds that blow toward the equator, beneath the antitrades.
• Westerlies (n): While the westerlies are also prevailing winds from the west, they typically refer to the surface winds in the mid-latitudes (between 30° and 60°), not the upper-level antitrades in the tropics.

Synonyms

• Counter Trades: A less common but direct synonym emphasizing their opposite direction to the trade winds.
• Upper-level Westerlies (Tropical): A descriptive synonym specifying their location and direction.

Antonyms

• Trade Winds: The primary antonym, as they are the surface easterlies that flow in the opposite direction to the antitrades.

Noun

1. wind in the upper atmosphere blowing above but in the opposite direction from the trade winds