extratropikus

Extratropikus is a term used in meteorology and geography to describe the extratropics—the portions of Earth outside the tropical belt. The name derives from Latin extra ('outside') and tropicus ('of the tropics'). In common usage, extratropikus denotes the zone roughly between 23.5 degrees and 66.5 degrees latitude in both hemispheres, although the exact boundaries vary by discipline. This region is characterized by greater seasonal variation than the tropics and by climate types that range from temperate to subpolar and polar.

Weather in the extratropics is dominated by mid-latitude systems, including extratropical cyclones, fronts, and strong jet streams. These features produce variable weather: storms, temperature contrasts, and changes of wind direction with the seasons. The boundary between the tropics and extratropics is marked not by a sharp edge but by shifts in solar angle, humidity, and prevailing circulation patterns, which influence the development of weather systems and the climate of coastal and continental areas.

In climate studies, the extratropics are distinguished from tropical climates by the absence of widespread deep convection and by the importance of latent heat release from frontal systems and baroclinic processes. Understanding the extratropics is central to forecasting, climate modeling, and studies of atmospheric dynamics.

Related topics include the Tropics, extratropical cyclones, jet streams, and polar fronts.