What affect does a large body of water have on climate of a nearby landmass?

Answer 1

Oceans moderate the temperatures of nearby land because water heats and cools much more slowly than land. Therefore, winds coming from the ocean usually deter hot or cold extremes in coastal regions like California, Florida, and other states. However, places toward the center of a country or continent will often have these hot and cold extremes during summer and winter. This occurs because they are secluded from the oceans and do not get the moderated weather from the oceans.

Answer 2

Water heats up and cools down at a different rate to land. So water can modify a climate by remaining warmer than the surrounding land. Also water is a source of water vapour for fog, and rain.

Answer 3

Bodies of water affect climate in many ways, but perhaps the most significant impact is based on the fact that large bodies of water act as heat sinks. In other words, large bodies of water tend to store heat in warm periods and release it in cold periods. This is because the thermal capacity of water is high, meaning it takes a lot of energy to change the temperature of water. So, during the summer, land areas near a large body of water may not heat up as much as areas that are not close to water, because the water itself is adsorbing much of the heat energy. This will cause the climate to be more moderate in summer near the coast, for example. Likewise in winter, the water near the coast will slowly release this energy, causing coastal areas to be less cold, in general, than inland areas. So, in summary, large bodies of water tend to moderate temperatures in both summer and winter in nearby land areas, compared to areas that are farther inland.

To see this actually in action, watch the national weather map in both summer and winter. In the summer, the highest temperatures tend to be in areas some distance away form the coasts, and likewise in winter the coldest temperatures will also be inland.

There are many other ways that bodies of water affect climate, such as warm or cold temperature currents. The Gulf Stream, for example, a warm current, tends to keep the east coast of the US warmer than it otherwise would be, because it flows from the warm Gulf of Mexico past Florida and up along the east coast.

Answer 4

The cool winds of the ocean create a cooler climate which is why you often don't sweat on the beach because of what is known as a "sea breeze". The area might also get a good amount of rain from storms coming in from the ocean.

Answer 5

It keeps place near it warmer in the winter &nd cooler in the summer.

Answer 6

Water generally moderates the temperature and keeps it more constant, so it'll rarely get very hot or very cold at the seaside, relative to the average temperature

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