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Intertropical Convergence Zone
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<p>The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ /ɪtʃ/ ITCH, or ICZ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast <a href="/facts/Trade_winds/GUU8Vor3">trade winds</a> converge. It encircles Earth near the <a href="/facts/Thermal_equator/3h5JL6Lk">thermal equator</a> though its specific position varies seasonally. When it lies near the geographic <a href="/facts/Equator/CjaxbVaN">equator</a>, it is called the near-equatorial trough. Where the ITCZ is drawn into and merges with a <a href="/facts/Monsoon/0a2o484v">monsoonal</a> circulation, it is sometimes referred to as a <i><a href="/facts/Monsoon_trough/mwaM3TtY">monsoon trough</a></i> (a usage that is more common in Australia and parts of Asia). </p>