zonal

Zonal is an adjective derived from zone, used to describe things related to a defined zone or belt. In various disciplines, it signals alignment with geographic, administrative, or conceptual zones rather than random placement. The term appears in geography, meteorology, mathematics, statistics, and urban planning to indicate patterns, classifications, or functions organized by zones.

In geography and climatology, zonal commonly refers to east–west direction or latitudinal belts. Zonal winds, for example, are atmospheric winds that blow largely along lines of latitude, while zonal climate patterns describe regions with characteristic conditions extending in the east–west direction. This contrasts with meridional patterns, which run north–south or involve cross-latitude movement.

In mathematics and statistics, zonal functions are rotationally symmetric about an axis. Zonal polynomials are a class of symmetric homogeneous polynomials related to spherical functions and multivariate analysis. They appear in the study of random matrices and in representations of symmetry groups, providing compact expressions for traces, moments, and other invariant quantities.

In urban planning, zonal or zoning concepts divide land into districts with specific regulations, uses, or services. Zonal approaches support targeted policies, such as residential, commercial, or industrial zones, and can extend to zoning-based pricing or development frameworks.

Derivative of zona, Latin for belt, the term is related to zone and zonation.