Wind Sea Breeze and Land Breeze Energy Transfer

Wind: Sea Breeze and Land Breeze

Energy. Transfer in the Atmosphere • Energy moves through the atmosphere in three different ways-conduction, convection and radiation • Convection is the main way that air circulates in the atmosphere

What is convection? • Energy transfer due to differences in density • Occurs in liquids and gases • Warm air rises • Cool air sinks • Forms a convection cell

Specific Heat • The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance 1 degree celsius • measured in joules • see esrt for more information

Which substance has a higher specific heat?

Which substance will have a higher specific heat? Land or Water? Why?

Water will have a higher specific heat because it will reflect the sun’s incoming solar radiation. .

Therefore. . . water will take a longer time to heat up, but will retain this heat for longer. . . so. . .

A sea breeze will form. . . • Sea Breeze: wind moves from ocean to land • The atmospheric pressure is higher over the ocean then over the land because the air is cooler during the day • At night the air is cooler over the land, so a land breeze forms

At night a land breeze develops. . .

Wrap UP:

1. Why does the ocean heat up more slowly than the land? 2. Which substance has a higher specific heat-lead or ice? 3. Why do thunderstorms usually happen at the end of a hot summer day? 4. Why do people like to sit near the ocean on a hot summer day?