SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-three-cell-circulation

Earth's spin breaks the air's flow into how many big circulation cells in each hemisphere?

Three cells in each hemisphere.

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  1. One
  2. Three ✔
  3. Six

Why: Without spin, air would just flow from the equator to the poles and back. Earth's rotation breaks that flow into three loops, with edges near 30 and 60 degrees latitude.

Huh, didn't know that: That makes six cells around the whole planet.

The dad joke
Why did the air cells get along? They all went with the flow.
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References

Answer: Three. Without spin, air would just flow from the equator to the poles and back. Earth's rotation breaks that flow into three loops, with edges near 30 and 60 degrees latitude.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12 Weather Theory www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-25c.pdf
    The Coriolis force causes the general flow to break up into three distinct cells in each hemisphere.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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