The strength of the sea breeze depends on the difference in temperature between the land and ocean. The outcome of this airflow is the cool breeze that blows from the ocean toward the beach. In an attempt to balance the pressures in both areas the air from the high-pressure zone (the ocean) will rush to the low-pressure zone (the beach) and replace the rising air. The difference in air pressures above the beach and ocean is what causes the air movement we perceive as wind. This leads to the air becoming denser and a local high air pressure zone. ![]() Above the ocean the air cools down due to the colder temperatures of the ocean water. Warm air rises, causing low air pressure whereas cold, dense air results in high air pressure. The expanding air results in a decrease in air pressure (how much pressure the air exerts on Earth’s surface at a certain location). As the air heats up it becomes less dense and rises. The air above the beach warms because of the hot sand. But what do water and sand temperatures have to do with wind? Beach sand, on the other hand, has a lower heat capacity and warms pretty quickly in the sun, which you might have noticed when walking on the sand barefoot. Water has a higher heat capacity, which means it takes a lot of heat to increase its temperature. Surfaces with a low heat capacity will heat and cool quickly but those with a high heat capacity take much longer to do so. This is because different materials have different heat capacities. ![]() ![]() Not every surface heats up the same way: Some surfaces take longer to warm whereas others get hot right away. But have you ever thought about what makes the air move? It all starts with the sun heating Earth's surface. If you were asked to describe wind, you might say it is the movement of air from one place to another. Have you ever noticed there always seems to be a cool breeze blowing from the ocean to the shore? Where does the wind come from? In this activity you will build a model of the ocean and beach to find out-so you will know why the sea breeze is blowing! But it’s not only the water that has a cooling effect at the beach. A hot summer day is the perfect time to go to the beach and cool down in the brisk ocean water.
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