Glossary · Weather & oceans
Doldrums
Also called: Pot-au-noir, pot au noir, ZCIT, ITCZ, zone de convergence intertropicale
An area near the equator, between the trade winds of both hemispheres, made of calms and storms.
The doldrums are the sailors' name for the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The trade winds of both hemispheres meet there: air rises, builds thunderclouds, and the wind turns light and fickle, broken by violent squalls. Their width and position change every day.
Crossing the doldrums is a key moment of round-the-world races: gaps open and close within hours.
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No source yet · updated 30 Sept 2026