Local Winds: Sea and Land Breezes

Discover how sea and land breezes form! Learn about air pressure and density.

Sea vs Land Breeze Use the video to fill in the blanks. Wind flows from high pressure to low pressure. Pressure differences occur when Earth's surface is heated by the sun. evenly unevenly Land and Sea Breezes Animation Use this animation to find the temperatures of land and sea throughout the day. Daytime Breeze Use the animation to fill in the temperature and draw the arrows of air flow cycle.Hint: Use blue for high air pressure and red for low air pressure. Is the land or ocean hotter? land ocean That means the air over the land will: rise sink Is the land or ocean colder? land ocean That means the air over the ocean will: rise sink Use the video and animation to fill in the blanks. During the day, when the sun comes up, the land gets warmer than the ocean. The air above the land gets warmer too and is less dense, so it rises. Meanwhile, the air over the ocean is cooler and more dense, so it falls. The falling dense air creates high pressure over the ocean and the rising thin air creates low pressure over the land. A "sea breeze" develops from movement of hot airrising and cold air sinking. A sea breeze is when the wind we feel comes from the sea. Nighttime Breeze Use the animation above to fill in the temperatures and draw the arrows of air flow currents.Hint: Blue arrows for high pressure and red for low pressure. Is the land or ocean hotter? land ocean That means the air over the land will: rise sink Is the land or ocean colder? land ocean That means the air over the ocean will: rise sink Use the video and animation to fill in the blanks. During the night, when the sun is down, the land gets cooler quicker than the ocean. The air above the land gets cooler too, and is more dense, so it sinks. Meanwhile, the air over the ocean is warmer and less dense, so it rises. The sinking dense air creates high pressure over the land and the rising air creates low pressure over the ocean. A "land breeze" develops from movement of hot air rising and cold air sinking. A land breeze is when the wind we feel comes from the land. Breeze Helpful Hints Breezes are the winds that are low to the ground. This is what humans feel. We call breezes where they come from, not where they are going. Use the picture above to answer the following questions. Where is the breeze coming from? land sea Why would the air over the land rise? it's warmer it's cooler it's the same temperature as the air over the sea When hot air rises and cold air sinks, it is called a cycle. water convection wind