Thursday 31 December 2015

Land and Sea Breezes and Monsoons

Land and sea breezes are, in fact, monsoons on a smaller scale. Both are basically caused by differential heating of land and sea, the former in a diurnal rhythm and the latter in a seasonal rhythm.
During the day, the land gets heated up much faster than the sea. Warm air rises forming a region of local low pressure. The sea remains comparatively cool with a higher pressure so a sea breeze blows in from sea to land. Its speed or strength is between 5-20 m.p.h. and it is generally stronger in tropical than temperate regions. Its influence does not normally exceed 15 miles from the coast. It is most deeply felt when one stands facing the sea in a coastal resort.
At night the reverse takes place. As the land cools down much faster than the sea, the cold and heavy air produces a region of local high pressure. The sea conserves its heat and remains quite warm. Its pressure is comparatively low. A land breeze thus blows out from land to sea. Fishermen in the tropics often take advantage of the out-going land breeze and sail out with it. They return the next morning with the in-coming sea breeze, complete with their catch.
In the same way, monsoon are caused. rapid heating in the hot summer over most parts of India for example induces heated air to rise. The South-West Monsoon from the surrounding ocean is attracted by the low pressure over the land and blows in, bringing torrential rain to the sub-continent.
Similarly, in winter when the land is cold, the surrounding seas remain comparatively warm. High pressure is created over Indo-Pakistan and the North-east Monsoon blows out from the continent into the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.

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