DOLDRUMS ARE TECHNICALLY known as the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), the intertropical front, the monsoon trough, or the equatorial convergence zone, the doldrums are a belt of low pressure surrounding the earth at the equator. It is formed by the vertical ascent of warm, moist air from the latitudes above and below the equator. The air is drawn into the ITCZ by the action of the Hadley cell, a macroscale atmospheric feature that is part of the Earths heat and moisture distribution system. It is transported aloft by the convective activity of thunderstorms.

The position of the ITCZ varies throughout the year. Over land, it moves back and forth across the equator following the Sun's zenith. Over the oceans, where the ITCZ is better defined, the ...