The Horse Latitudes

11/03/26

“What’s so special about the latitudes 30 degrees north and south of the equator?”

Warm air typically rises at the equator. This air then sinks 30 degrees north and south of the equator, causing stable, warm high-pressure conditions. Major deserts like the Namib, Sahara, Arabian, Australian, and Atacama Deserts form at these latitudes. These latitudes are often called The Horse Latitudes because old legends say ships got stuck there and were forced to dump horses to conserve supplies.