HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
The winter monsoon winds come from northeast. What makes the winds from that monsoon cold? My answer--Because in the winter land is colder than the oceans because of the northern hemispheres closeness to the equator? Is this correct?
The fact that they come from more northern latitudes, in winter, is what makes the winds cold.
No, your answer is wrong.
Happy New Year to you too!
Your explanation is partially correct. The winter monsoon winds come from the northeast direction, often referred to as the "northeast monsoon" or "winter monsoon." These winds are characterized by their cold and dry nature.
The reason behind the coldness of these winds is primarily due to the source regions they originate from. During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, land areas in the northern regions, such as Siberia and China, experience significant cooling. These regions are located far from the equator, and their temperatures drop considerably during winter due to various factors like low solar radiation, reduced daylight hours, and cold air masses moving southward.
Meanwhile, the adjacent oceans, such as the Pacific and Indian oceans, retain more heat compared to landmasses. The water bodies take longer to cool down due to their higher heat retention capacity. As a result, the temperature contrast between the colder land and the warmer ocean creates a pressure gradient, leading to the flow of air from land to sea.
When these cold, continental air masses move towards the warmer ocean areas, they acquire the characteristics of the underlying surface. As a result, the monsoon winds become cold and dry, as they pick up moisture from the ocean surface, turning it into clouds and precipitation before reaching land.
In summary, the winter monsoon winds from the northeast are cold because they originate from colder land areas and pass over the warmer ocean surfaces, leading to air temperature contrast and resultant cold, dry winds.