![]() Once over water again, the air cools, increases in density, and sinks toward the Earth's surface (6). At this level, the air pressure and density, being greater than the same elevation over the water, causes air to flow back over water (5). Typically, this occurs from 3,000 to 5,000 feet (1,000 to 1,500 meters) in elevation. This cooling means the density increases again, forming a small area of high pressure (4). Over land, air forced up by the sea breeze front will begin to cool. The skies also clear and humidity increases after the sea breeze front passes, and there can be a significant change in wind direction and/or speed. This boundary, called a sea breeze front, acts in the same manner as the cold front we typically experience.įor example, the air temperature drops significantly after the sea breeze front passes a location, sometimes as much as 15-20 ☏ (8-11 ☌). A sharp boundary develops due to the large difference between the air temperature over land and over water. This inland push of air from the ocean undercuts the less dense air over land, forcing it to rise (3). Over the adjacent water, the cooler, more dense air is pulled down by gravity and begins to spread inland (2). As the air warms, its density decreases, creating a weak low-pressure area called a "thermal low" (1). However, since the ground's heat remains confined to the top few inches of soil, it radiates back into the atmosphere, warming the air. The sun warms both the ground and ocean at the same rate. These two flows are a result of the difference in air density between the land and sea caused by the sun's heating. The sea breeze circulation is composed of two opposing flows, one at the surface (called the sea breeze) and one aloft (which is a return flow). For coastal areas, this difference of heating can have a large impact on the weather by the formation of the sea and land breezes. Consequently, temperature fluctuations between daytime and nighttime are much greater over land than over water. ![]() ![]() In contrast to the ocean, the sun's rays do not to penetrate deep into the Earth but are confined to the top few inches of soil. The constant turbulence from wind and weather continually mixes the water, distributing surface heating through the water column.In clear tropical water, light can reach a depth of 500-650 feet (150-200 meters), meaning that it takes a great amount of heat to raise the temperature through such a large volume of water, and ![]() The transparency of the water, which allows the sun's rays to penetrate deep into the ocean.The ocean's ability to absorb and store energy from the sun is huge. Tsunami Preparedness and Mitigation: Individuals (You!).Preparedness and Mitigation: Communities.The Positive and Negative Side of Lightning. ![]()
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