In the Hadley cell, where does air rise and where does it sink?

• A. Rises near the equator and sinks at about 30° latitude
• B. Rises at 0° and sinks at 60°
• C. Rises at 60° and sinks at 0°
• D. Rises near the equator and sinks at 60°

Answer: (A)

The Hadley cell is a tropical atmospheric circulation where intense heating at the equator makes the surface air rise. This rising air creates clouds and heavy rainfall near the equator. As air rises, it moves toward the poles at higher altitudes, cools, and then sinks around about 30° latitude in both hemispheres. That sinking creates the subtropical highs and dry, stable conditions there, while surface air then returns toward the equator as trade winds, completing the loop.

So rising near the equator and sinking at roughly 30° latitude matches the classic Hadley circulation. The other options place the vertical motions at latitudes that don’t align with this tropical circulation pattern (for example, sinking around 60° would point to mid-latitude processes, not the Hadley cell).