In the polar cell, where is the warm air rising and where is the cold air sinking?

• A. 30° latitude, 60° latitude
• B. 60° latitude, 90° latitude
• C. 0° latitude, 30° latitude
• D. 90° latitude, 30° latitude

Answer: (B)

The polar cell is characterized by the movement of cold air and the rising of warmer air within its structure. At around 60° latitude, warm air from the mid-latitudes rises due to its lower density when heated, creating a region of low pressure. This rising warm air cools as it moves poleward, and eventually, at the poles, particularly around 90° latitude, the air becomes colder and denser, leading to sinking.

This dynamic creates a cyclical movement in the polar cell, where cold, dense air sinks at the poles and flows toward the equator at surface level, while warmer air rises at approximately 60° latitude. Therefore, the correct understanding of the polar cell highlights these specific latitudes: rising warm air at 60° and descending cold air at 90° latitude.

In other options, latitudes like 30° are associated with the subtropical highs and are not characteristic of the polar cell. The other options do not accurately reflect the mechanisms of air movement specific to the polar cell, focusing instead on latitudes that are relevant to different atmospheric cells, such as the Hadley cell.