ITCZ

The ITCZ, as it’s known in climatespeak, generally drifts back and forth across the equator with the seasons.

In the darkness, crews are extra vigilant when traversing the ITCZ.

This doesn't happen often, but when it does, there's a fair chance it'll be in a region known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, an area of perennially unstable air extending for several degrees of latitude on either side of the equator.

Any flight between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will pass through the ITCZ, as will flights to tropical areas along the earth's hot and stormy midsection.