🔍 Key Concepts

• Tropical waves in the Northern Hemisphere generally move with the trade winds • Typical direction and speed of tropical waves (westward at 10–20 knots) • How far a system moving at a steady speed will travel in 24 hours

💭 Think About

• If the wave starts 200 miles due west of you and continues moving west, will its distance from you increase or decrease? • Estimate how far a system moving 10–20 knots will travel in one day, and compare this to the 200‑mile initial separation. • Since you are stationary and the wave is moving, where will it be relative to you after 24 hours: still west, now east, or unchanged?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm that trade winds in the Northern Hemisphere typically blow from east to west, carrying tropical waves with them. • Check that a speed of 10–20 knots over 24 hours equals more than 200 nautical miles of travel. • Verify whether any realistic westward motion could make the wave end up east of you if it started 200 miles to your west.