Convergence zone

For convergence zones of sonars, see Sonar#Sound propagation. For multiple gun convergence, see Gun harmonisation.

A convergence zone is a region in the atmosphere where two prevailing flows meet and interact, usually resulting in distinctive weather conditions.

An example of a convergence zone is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a low pressure area which girdles the Earth at the Equator. Another example is the South Pacific convergence zone that extends from the western Pacific Ocean toward French Polynesia.

Convergence zones also occur at a smaller scale. Some examples are the Puget Sound Convergence Zone which occurs in the Puget Sound region in the U.S. state of Washington; Mohawk–Hudson convergence in the U.S. state of New York; the Brown Willy effect which can be generated when south-westerly winds blow over Bodmin Moor in Cornwall; and the Pembrokeshire Dangler which can form when northerly winds blow down the Irish Sea. They can also be associated with sea breeze fronts.