Coastal Weather

Land-Sea Interactions
Presented by Geneviève Marston & Jamie Girard
Coastal Weather
What is coastal weather? Weather on the coast!

Weather – Describes the conditions at a given time and

place. Weather is driven by the change in density
(temperature & moisture) differences between areas.
As the temperature increases, the volume of the
particles of air is also increased, this is what creates
winds.
Climate – long term average of the weather
Climate
Newfoundland climate is governed by interactions
between the Labrador Current and atmospheric
circulation patterns of the northern hemisphere.
Newfoundland is colder, than other areas at the same
latitude…thanks to the Labrador Current.
 Carries Arctic ice along the coast
 Results in fog, cloud, snow
Land & Sea Interactions
Temperature
 Less extreme in Newfoundland coast than continental
North America
 Due to moderating influence of the adjacent seas
 Ice cover reduces moderating influence on air temperature
 Winter storm winds are not warmed when they pass over
sea ice
 West/Northeast coasts experience colder winters than
South/East coasts.
Land-Sea Interactions
Fog
 Produced when warm, moist winds flow over cold water
 Moisture from the fog soaks and cools the shores and
coastal vegetation.
Land & Sea Interactions
Precipitation
 Newfoundland receives large quantities of snow and rain
 Higher along the South/West coasts
 Freezing rain occurs in late winter
 Falls through low altitude, freezes when it strikes the shoreline
 Protective/destructive
Land-Sea Interaction
Tsunami
 Type of ocean wave created by underwater disruption such
as, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and even nuclear
explosions.
 Tsunamis may have profound and devastating effect on
land area. These wavelengths start off as very long, and as
they approaches the coast the wavelength decrease and
high increases, creating waves that may be as high.
Land-Sea Interactions
Freezing Spray
 Produced when liquid seawater becomes airborne in cold
wind and supercools or partially freezes before landing
again. Salt remains solid, creating a sharp crystal, this is
why the crystals are so destructive.
 Salt crystals stick to everything
 Razor sharp, destruct the land
 compared to sand-blasting
Land-Sea Interaction
Gyre – A pattern of currents that moves water
around the ocean in a circle.
The direction in which a gyre revolves,
helps to determine the climate in the land
Water can carry and lose heat
Ex) Britain’s climate is mild compared to other
countries at the same latitude, for example
Labrador.
 Reason – Gulf Stream flow begins near Florida but looses
heat as it travels north near Europe
 Labrador Current – cold water
 When the warm wet winds cross the cold water –
condense and foggy climates.
Coastal Winds
Wind is mostly driven and directed by the change in
energy absorption at the equator and the poles, and the
rotation of the earth.
Sea & Land breeze
Sea Breeze (A)
A sea-breeze (or onshore
breeze) is a wind from the sea
that develops over land near
coasts. It is formed by increasing
temperature differences between
the land and water which create a
pressure minimum over the land
due to its relative warmth and
forces higher pressure, cooler air
from the sea to move inland.
Generally, air temperature gets
cooler relative to nearby locations
as one moves closer to a large
body of water.
Land Breeze (B)
 Water has a greater heat
capacity than land,
therefore the surface of
the water is generally
hotter than the land,
this results in a
difference in density
that creates shore
breezes. Strength of a
sea breeze is directly
proportional to the
temperature difference
between the land mass
and the ocean.
Winds
Wind
 Prevailing winds in Newfoundland come from
 West – Fall/Winter
 South/Southwest – Spring/Summer
 Extremely high winds (Northeast/Easterly winds)
 South/West coasts are subject to onshore winds, while the
north and east coasts receive offshore winds.
 Hurricanes track through the region in late summer and fall.
Katabatic Winds
Winds that carriers high density air from a higher
elevation down a slope under the force of gravity
 Most famous local winds in NL that occur at certain sites
along the west coast.
 Winds that accelerate as they fall from the Long Range
mountains
 Frequently cause local winds to suddenly change
 (Wreck House area) Area in NL that has extremely strong
winds
 Trains have been derailed from gusts
 Commercial transport cannot pass along this highway when
occurring.
Katabatic winds cont.
Wind starts from the bottom of a hill, as it rolls up the
hill pressure increases and density in increased
The wind the wind then rolls down and gravity pressure
increases the speed
As it approaches the bottom, pressure lowers, and
density is decreased, and volume increases; creating a
powerful gust of wind
EX: Mistral Wind– Strong, cold and normally dry wind
that has a profound affect in Mediterranean coast of
France.
References
Dallas Murphy, "Rounding the Horn" (New York: Phoenix
Books, 2004), p. 221.
Lerman, Matthew. Marine Biology: Environment,
Diversity, and Ecology. Menlo Park, CA:
Benjamin/Cummings, 1986. Print.
Trujillo, Alan P., and Harold V. Thurman. Essentials of
Oceanography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, 1999. Print.