CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF SEA AND LAND BREEZE

The wind will blow from the higher pressure over the water to lower pressure over the land causing the sea breeze.

The sea breeze strength will vary depending on the temperature difference between the land and the ocean.

At night, the roles reverse. The air over the ocean is now warmer than the air over the land. As the name clearly suggests these breezes occur along with coastal areas or along large lakes and water bodies.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF SEA AND LAND BREEZE

A breeze is a cool and calm wind. These arise as a result of differential heating and cooling between land and adjacent sea areas during the day and at night.

The resultant pressure differences produce gentle breezes which affect coastal areas during calm clear anticyclonic conditions.

Sea breeze

It is a breeze blowing toward the land from the sea, especially during the day owing to the relative warmth of the land.

The land heats up quickly by conduction and air rises.

The air moves towards the sea and falls since it is denser.

The air creates an area of high pressure over the sea while the land has low pressure since it is hotter when compared to the ocean’s surface.

The sea absorbs heat more slowly during the day and transmits it to greater depth so it remains cool.

A cool sea breeze moves from the sea towards the land.

The sea breeze is capable of reducing temperatures by as much as 15°C along with coastal areas and may produce fogs.

Effects of a Sea breeze:

It lowers temperature on the land especially in the afternoons as cool air
from the sea replaces the rising warm air
It is associated with onshore convectional rainfall which is normally
received in the early morning and afternoon hours
It causes violent thunderstorms
It results into high humidity over the land
Thick cloud cover is formed over the land
It leads to the formation of fog / misty conditions on the land which
results into poor visibility

Land breeze

On the other hand, is a coastal breeze blowing at night from land to sea, caused by the difference in the rate of cooling of their respective surfaces.

At night the reverse happens, Land quickly loses its heat while the ocean cools at a slower rate because water has a higher heat-specific capacity.

This means air over the water is less dense and begins to rise to create low pressure above the ocean’s surface. Cooler dense air from the land begins to move to the water surface to replace the warm rising air.

A cool gentle breeze blows towards the ocean. This is called a land breeze.

Causes of a Land breeze:

Loss of radiation at the coastal lands at night. Land therefore cools faster than the sea/water hence temperatures are cooler over the land than the sea which retains much of its heat
Water loses heat more slowly such that the air above it remains relatively warm
Low pressure is created over the warm sea and high pressure over the cold land. Cool air from the land under high pressure blows towards the sea to replace the rising air hence forming a land breeze

Effects of a Land breeze:

It results into lowering of temperature over the sea as cold air from the land blows towards the see
formation of fog / misty conditions occurs over the sea as cold air from the land cools down the warm air over the sea leading to premature condensation as well as poor visibility
Temperature inversion occurs over the sea as cold air from the land displaces warm air upwards over the sea
Dense clouds and heavy offshore rainfall are experienced over the sea as warm air is displaced upwards to the condensation level
It results into dry conditions on the land because little or no rainfall is received
It results into violent thunderstorms
It also causes high humidity over the sea / lake