Explain sea breeze and land breeze?

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Detailed Solution

Sea breeze blows from sea to land during the day, and land breeze blows from land to sea at night due to different heating of land and water. Land heats up faster than water in the sun, so daytime warm air over land rises and cooler air from the sea moves in as a sea breeze. At night, land cools faster than water; warm air now rises over the sea and cooler air from land moves out as a land breeze. This daily wind cycle is common in coastal areas.

Process (day vs night)

Daytime: Land gets hot → air rises → low pressure over land → cooler, denser air from sea flows inland (sea breeze).
Nighttime: Land gets cooler than sea → air over sea rises → low pressure over sea → cooler, denser air from land flows seaward (land breeze).

Feature	Sea breeze (day)	Land breeze (night)
Direction	Sea → Land	Land → Sea
Cause	Land heats faster; air rises over land	Land cools faster; air rises over sea
Temperature	Brings cooler air inland	Brings cooler, drier air seaward
Typical time	Late morning to afternoon	Late night to early morning
Weather effect	Can form clouds, showers near coast	Usually clearer, calmer near land

Uses and effects: Sea breeze can reduce daytime heat near coasts and improve air quality by pushing pollution inland or offshore. Land breeze can help fishermen at night and early morning. Both breezes are examples of local winds caused by differential heating of land and water.

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