Land and Sea Breezes: What Causes Them??

Very few things are better on a hot summer day then going to the beach. The sand, the ocean, surfing, and (in some areas) the boardwalk.

But while at the beach many beachgoers will notices that it normally gets windy during the day. Why?

This wind happens to be the sea breeze. The sea breeze is a thermally produced wind blowing during the day from the cool ocean onto the adjoining warm land. It is caused by the difference in the rates of heating between the land and the ocean. The bigger the difference in temperature, the stronger the wind.

For example, hot land temperatures next to cold ocean temperatures will create a stronger sea breeze than land temperatures that are only a little bit warmer than the ocean temperatures. So during the afternoon when the temperatures differences are normally at their highest, the sea breeze will normally be at its strongest, bringing relief from the heat to beachgoers.

This process also works in reverse at night. Only this time it is known as the land breeze. The land breeze is a coastal breeze at night blowing from the land to the ocean. It is caused by the difference in the rates of cooling of the land and of the ocean. Once again, the bigger the difference in temperature between the two, the stronger the wind.

However, since temperature differences at night are not normally as big as during the day, land breezes are normally not as strong as sea breezes.

Beachgoers and boaters should be wary of the sea breeze because under the right circumstances it can create thunderstorms. The thunderstorms that fire up across the Florida peninsula on summer afternoons are often caused by the sea breeze. Risk of thunderstorms aside, the next time you`re at the beach on a hot summer day you can thank the sea breeze for bringing you some relief from the sweltering temperatures

Image: A sea breeze moving up the estuary of the River Derwent in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. (Wikipedia)