The Roaring 40's...

We have all likely heard the term "roaring 40's" yet may not know exactly what it means. Here is my attempt to explain it, and other bits and pieces of nothingness.

As we all [should] know, the latitudes go around the world parallel to the equator. The equator is ZERO degrees. The latitudes go 90 degrees north and 90 degrees south from the equator.

90 degrees north is the north pole, 90 degrees south is the south pole. [Actually the poles are not exactly there, but that is a different matter, forget about it!]

Canada's southern border is substantially at the 49th parallel. B.C.'s northern border is 60 degrees north. [The Yukon and Northwest territories start at 60 degrees.] So, understand that although it is cold at the top end of BC is it not as cold as 60 degrees SOUTH. 60 degrees south is just above the Antarctic circle where there is absolutely nothing living, trees bushes etc. nothing but penguins and seals. [As a matter of interest the tip of Britain is just a bit below 60 degrees north.]

So, I wonder why the latitudes are not the same temperature zones north and south???? I do not know the answer. 'The Tropics" are between the tropic of Cancer, just a touch north of the Hawaiian islands and the tropic of Capricorn that runs through the middle of Australia. [Around Alice Springs to be exact]. Sydney is about 34 degrees south, 34 degrees north is Los Angeles. About the same climate, yes.

However when we go south it seems to be colder in the southern latitudes than it is in the same latitudes north. Why?

Please do a 500 word summary and hand it in within a week in double-spaced typewritten form.

Back to the roaring 40's. That is an area that runs under New Zealand and Australia across and under South Africa to South America. it is one of the roughest stretches of water in the world. Below that is the Antarctic. Yet 40 degrees north is off the west coast of the USA and in the Atlantic it is in the main sea lanes. Madrid and Rome are about 40 degrees [north!]

Sorry for a very boring and rambling dissertation, but this has always been a source of interest to me. I think it may have something to do with the angle of the earth in relation to the sun and the vastness of the Antarctic.

I believe my deduction is what is called a WAG. [Wild Ass Guess].