The weather all around you is heavily influenced by the activity in the ocean. It is able to determine how cloudy the day will be, how heavy a rainfall is going to be and even the severity of a hurricane. Most of the things that we do depend on the weather so it’s important to know how it really works.
These 14 Ways Ocean Affects Weather will tell you the things that you really need to know. There are a lot of factors involved, even in the formation of the smallest raindrop.
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1. Regulation of Heat on Earth
The ocean doesn’t only function as a storage for heat in the world. It actually regulates the heat that is absorbed from the radiation of the sun. The tropical parts of the ocean, receive the most portion of this heat. It is all then regulated through the continuously flowing ocean currents. The wind will also be helping this process.
2. Cloud Formation
Cloud formation plays an important part in determining weather. Less cloud would mean less chances of precipitation. On the other hand, more cloud would mean that precipitation will likely occur on the ocean and on land. The cloud formation is affected by the rate of the evaporation on the ocean by the heat of the sun.
3. Rainfall Pattern
Most rainfall in the world actually occurs firsthand in the ocean. It then moves to the land. The ocean affects this process by first collecting all the water from all parts of the world. The water is then heated up and evaporated. As the water vapour condenses, clouds are formed. Then a rainfall can take place. This is called as the hydrologic cycle where there is a continuous movement of water. There is great Importance of Ocean in Hydrologic Cycle. It’s the biggest water cycle in the world.
4. Tropical Storms
Tropical storms are born in warm oceans. Typhoons and hurricanes are some of the most common ones. The intensity of their destruction depends on their strength. The ocean determines how strong a tropical storm can be. As the ocean gets warmer and warmer, the tropical storms become powerful. They feed on the heat from the ocean as they make their way to the land.
5. Winter Storms
Unlike the tropical storms, the winter storms don’t occur over warm oceans. They can only happen when the temperature is very low. They’re often called as the winter hurricane or the bomb cyclone. They most likely to form over the North Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific oceans. Winter storms are the strongest near the coastal areas.
6. Warm Coastal Areas
There’s a reason why the weather around the coastal areas are warmer then on the main land. The coastal areas are affected by how the ocean behaves when releasing stored heat. The process of letting go all that heat isn’t a quick one. The heat is released at a much slower pace.
See also: General Characteristics of Coastal Ocean
7. Ocean Breeze
Ocean breeze is a form of wind. But it comes from the ocean. It moves from the water to the land. What makes this possible is the different temperature of the ocean and the land. Occasionally, the ocean breeze can be more heavy on a particular day than any other day. It all depends on the temperature.
Read more: Effects of Wind on Ocean Currents
8. Strong Winds
The strong winds that you’re receiving on land could have been influenced by the ocean. The ocean can make powerful winds simply through its temperature. When the temperature of the ocean is warm, the winds that pass through will suck the heat. As they gain energy, they are able to maintain their power even beyond the ocean.
9. El Nino
The Pacific ocean is mostly responsible for the formation of El Nino. It can happen every 3 or 5 years. A noticeable weather effect from El Nino is a massive increase in precipitation. Rainfall is always heavy on particular areas. This will trigger floods, landslides and many other natural disasters. Those are only some of the devastating Effects of El Nino in Pacific Ocean.
10. La Nina
When La Nina takes place, the temperature of the ocean surface will drop. This will cause the weather in certain places to be varied. Some will receive unusual amount of rainfall, most likely Asia. Other places in Africa may experience extremely dry weather. Even more, the weather can cause serious droughts.
11. Snowfall on Shorelines
The ocean can cause snowfall to occur along the shorelines. For instance, the storms from the Atlantic Ocean hold a lot of moisture. The moisture is rarely falls rain. They become snow instead. The more moisture is present in the air, the more snow can be produced.
Read more: Effects of Ocean Waves on Shorelines
12. Fog Formation
Other than the usual precipitation, the ocean can also affect fog formation. In ocean where the water is very cool but the land is hot. Th cool water condenses into the warm atmosphere, thus the fog is formed. The wind that happen to pass by will carry the fog from the ocean to the land.
See also: Causes of Rising Ocean Temperature
13. Mild Winter
Mild weather in winter is affected by the ocean. Without it, the weather would be too cold and unbearable for people. What makes the winter mild is the Gulf Stream. It distributes some heat that lessen the coldness over certain regions such as the UK.
14. Humidity
When the ocean is warm, the amount of moisture increases. This will influence humidity. It is usually high in the ocean and along the coastal areas. Humidity will increase when the evaporation rate is slow and there is less water. The surface temperature of the ocean also plays a part in this. The sea ice too, as that means evaporation can’t occur.
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Now that you know the complexity of how the ocean affects the weather, you can begin to appreciate nature even more. The weather and the ocean influence one another. One simply can’t exist without the other.