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Land and Sea Breeze

On a hot summer day at the beach, feeling the breeze, a light and cold breeze, is one of the most pleasant sensations.The key difference between the two types of Breeze is that water retains heat for a longer duration. The difference in temperature between land and water causes the density of the air over their respective surfaces to alter.

A land breeze is defined as a breeze that originates on land and flows towards the sea. This swaying of the breeze occurs at night, when the sea is relatively warm. The land breeze gives way to the sea breeze. As a result, an air convergence occurs. The land breeze, in layman’s terms, is the flow of air from the land to the sea at night. The land breeze is not as strong as the sea breeze. At night, when the oceans and land lose heat, a land breeze forms. 

A sea breeze is defined as a breeze from the sea that flows towards the land. During the day, there is a sea wind. It happens in the summer because the land and the water are heated in different ways.In the summer, the land heats up faster than the water, therefore the wind above land is warmer than the sea. The sea wind occurs as a result of this.

How does land breeze occur:

The formation of land wind is depicted in the diagram below:

Because the sun does not provide heat throughout the night, the land cools quickly and cools the air around it. Aquatic bodies, on the other hand, keep heat for a longer amount of time than terrestrial bodies, causing the air above them to have a lower density and rise.

Over the land, high pressure grows up, whereas over the water, low pressure builds up.The movement of thick air from the earth to space occurs over water.

The refrigerator is a device that stores food. Because the winds move from high pressure to low pressure zones, the breeze originates from the shore and is known as a land breeze.

How does sea breeze occur:

The structures below represent the evolution of a sea breeze:

The sun quickly heats the ground during the day.The air is cooler above the water than it is above the land.Because the air above the earth is less dense, it rises into the atmosphere.There is a reduction in pressure.The denser air above the water rises to fill the gap above the land as the warm air from the land rises. This cooler air is referred to as a sea breeze.

Land Breeze & Sea Breeze Characteristics:

  • A land breeze blows from the land to the water, while a sea breeze blows from the water to the land.

  • Differential heating between water and land causes both land and sea breezes.

  • For around 32-50 kilometres, the land breeze and sea breeze cause climate change.

  • These breezes can help to dissipate fog and smog.

  • Both land wind and sea breeze have an impact on energy consumption and breeze circulation patterns.

  • During the day, the temperature of the land fluctuates by around ten degrees, but the temperature of the water fluctuates by only one degree.

  • During the day, water has a higher heat/warmth, but this changes at night due to the land breeze.

  • In the sea breeze, the temperature of the land fluctuates while the temperature of the water remains constant.

  • The air above the land or the water is cooled by breezes.

  • The ground is warm in the sea breeze, and it continues to warm, causing the air above the sea to cool it off. Due to the sea breeze, the land becomes cooler.

  • The sea breeze blows mostly along the coast, whereas the land breeze blows mostly along the eastern coast.

  • Dry winds blow from the land, whereas wet breezes blow from the sea.

What is the difference between wind and breeze?

Now, let’s see what we can figure out with the wind. We call it a breeze when the wind is extremely moderate or light. Let’s define Wind as well. Wind is the movement of air. It is caused by the Sun’s uneven heating of the Earth’s surface. Because the Earth’s surface is made up of a variety of land and ocean forms, the Sun’s radiation is absorbed unevenly. We can specify wind based on two parameters: air speed and air direction. We have differential heating of the atmosphere at different sites due to unequal heating of land and water, resulting in low and high pressure zones.The wind is blown as a result of this. The air rises when it is heated. The rotation of the Earth, as well as the presence of mountain ranges, aid in the production of wind and its direction of blowing.

Conclusion:

We can deduce from the preceding discussion that both land and sea breezes occur near coastal places. The humidity levels, precipitation rates, and atmospheric temperature are all influenced by both land and sea breeze. In addition, land breezes are slower and less powerful than sea breezes. As a result of these breezes, the temperature in places near the sea does not vary much, although the temperature in inland areas varies significantly.

 
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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the NEET UG Examination Preparation.

How fast does a land breeze travel on average?

Answer: The speed of land breeze ranges from 5 to 8 knots. The speed of a sea breeze can range from 10 to 20 knots. ...Read full

Tell the difference between a sea breeze and a land breeze.

Answer: Land wind is the breeze that blows from the land to the sea when the Sun sets. Because the heating rates of ...Read full

Define breeze in your own words.

Answer: A breeze is simply a gentle breeze of air.

When does the land breeze happen?

Answer:  It happens at night or early in the morning when the land air is cooler than the sea air.