  The striking similarity between the cyclic equatorward migration of the
torsional oscillation belts and the sunspot activity latitudes inspired several
attempts to seek an explanation of the torsional phenomenon in terms of
interactions between flux ropes and plasma motions. The aim of the present work
is to examine the spatial and temporal coincidences of the torsional waves and
the emergence of sunspot magnetic fields. The locations of the shearing
latitudes have been compared with the distributions of certain sunspot
parameters by using sunspot data of more than two cycles. The bulges of the
sunspot number and area distributions tend to be loacted within the 'forward'
belts close to their poleward shearing borders. A possible geometry of the
magnetic and velocity field interacion is proposed.
