This is from my textbook, about sea breeze.
"A water breeze occurs during the day when the solar energy warms up the land faster than the nearby water. Remember that water is a better heat sink than land, and so can absorb a lot of energy without getting hot. "
In class we learned about albedo and heat sinks. From this passage, am I to understand that it doesn't matter if the land has a higher albedo than water, it will still heat up more than water because water is a better heat sink? And the heated land will cause the sea breeze?
I think so, yes.
http://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.breezes
yes, water has a higher heat capacity (specific heat) than land
also, solar energy (radiation) can penetrate deeper into the water
the warmer air (over the land) is less dense and is displaced upward by the cooler air flowing in from over the water...sea breeze
additional question @ Scott
Is this correct?
If solar energy can penetrate deeper in water, that means the land will cool down faster at night (since it's not a good heat sink) and water will stay closer to the same temperature since more of the water was exposed to solar energy
From the passage you provided, it is not explicitly mentioned whether the albedo of the land or water is a determining factor for the temperature difference between the two. However, it does highlight the role of water as a better heat sink compared to land.
Albedo refers to the reflectivity of a surface. Land can have a wide range of albedos, depending on factors such as vegetation cover and soil composition. Water generally has a lower albedo compared to land, meaning that it absorbs more sunlight and reflects less. However, the passage emphasizes that water is a better heat sink than land.
A heat sink is a material or substance that can absorb heat without significantly increasing in temperature. In the case of water, it has a high heat capacity, which means it can store a large amount of heat energy before it begins to warm up. This property allows water to absorb more solar energy compared to land, resulting in a slower increase in its temperature.
In a coastal area, when solar energy is received during the day, both the land and the nearby water start to warm up. However, because water has a higher heat capacity, it heats up at a slower rate than the land. This temperature difference between the two surfaces leads to the formation of a sea breeze.
The sea breeze is a local wind pattern that occurs when cooler air from over the water flows towards the warmer land. As the land heats up more quickly and becomes warmer than the water, the warm air rises and creates a lower pressure zone over the land. The cooler air from the water then moves in to replace the rising warm air, generating a sea breeze.
To summarize, the passage suggests that the ability of water to act as a better heat sink, due to its high heat capacity, is the primary factor in the formation of a sea breeze. While albedo may affect the initial absorption of solar energy, the difference in heat capacity determines the rate at which land and water warm up, leading to the temperature contrast that drives the sea breeze phenomenon.