Unlike the Hadley Cell (driven by heat at the equator) or the Polar Cell (driven by cold at the poles), the Ferrel Cell is like a gear sitting between them. It is pushed into motion by the rotation of its two neighbors. It moves air in the opposite direction of what you would expect from simple heating, making it a “thermally indirect” cell. ANSWER: (B) It is driven by the Hadley and Polar cells rather than direct heating
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In the mid-latitudes (30° to 60°), the Ferrel Cell acts as a giant atmospheric “ball bearing.” Because the Hadley Cell is sinking at 30° and the Polar Cell is rising at 60°, the air between them is forced to move in a way that completes the circuit. This is why the Ferrel Cell is “passive” or “indirect”—it doesn’t start because of a local heat source. Instead, it “mixes” the warm tropical air and cold polar air. This mixing creates the unstable weather and the “Westerlies” that define the climate of Europe and North America.
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