The maritime climate, or oceanic, is the climate of regions located near the sea. It is characterized by small daily and annual temperature differences, high humidity and precipitation, which occur in large quantities. It is also characterized by constant clouds with the formation of fogs. Winters smoothly turn into summer. Mostly cloudy weather and strong winds prevail. The marine climate of the temperate zone over the oceans is especially pronounced, but also extends to the coastal regions of the continents.
Formation Methods
The climate is influenced by many factors. This is solar radiation, the relief of the earth's crust, air circulation. The factors that make up the climate depend mainly on its geographical latitude. It is she who determines at what angle the sun's rays interact with the surface of the earth. Simply put, the greater the angle of inclination in a particular area, the less heat it receives. Also, the quality of solar heating still depends on how close the piece of land is to the ocean. The areas of the marine climate, as a rule, are determined precisely by these factors.
What is the effect?
This climate is influenced by the seas and oceans located nearby. The weather there is mild because the oceans heat more slowly than land. The sun warms up a large thickness of water for a long time. Wind and currents spread heat both vertically and horizontally. Oceans retain heat much longer than land. That is why the marine climate, which is characteristic of coastal zones, has its own characteristics. But which ones? Everything is very simple. In these areas, winters are quite warm, and the summer season is slightly cooler than at the same latitude, but only deep in the mainland. There is much more rainfall in coastal zones than in places of land where there are no seas.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the marine climate directly depends on the currents that pass near the continents. It is necessary to highlight warm and cold. Naturally, the former increase air temperature, and the latter lower it. Why is there such a relationship? Oceanic and sea currents are formed under the influence of air masses, which also affect mainland territories. Let's look at an example. The Scandinavian Peninsula has a favorable climate for the plant world. Here you can see the dense forests. What makes such an impact? Warm North Atlantic Current. But for the opposite example, consider Greenland. It is located in the same latitudes, but is already covered with ice. The reason for this climate is the cold East Greenland Current.
Regions and temperature regime of the marine climate
The temperate maritime climate spans the Atlantic coast of Europe and the Pacific coast of North America. Winter in this zone is warm and mild. The average temperature in January does not fall below zero and varies from north to south from 0 ° C to 6 ° C in the territory. On the Scandinavian coast, it can drop to -25 ° C.
The summer season in this strip does not indulge in hot temperatures. Thanks to the peculiarities of the local climate, people are very comfortable in the hottest months of the year. The average temperature is 15–16 ° C. During the day, the thermometers can show 30 ° C, but not higher. It is worth noting that such a temperature is felt as + 22 ... 25 o C.
Due to the frequent cyclones that prevail in these areas, the weather is cloudy and rainy. In North America, the west coast has high humidity and cloud cover. The Cordillera act as a border, separating the western coast with a maritime climate from the eastern continental regions.
Continental climate
In order to understand how the marine climate differs from the continental, it is necessary to study in detail the features of the latter. Let's get started.
Continental climate is the exact opposite of marine. It is characterized by cold winters and warm summers, high temperature drops, a small amount of precipitation, which falls mainly in the summer. Such a climate is characteristic of regions located in the deep regions of the continents. Usually a small amount of precipitation falls here, and low humidity is also observed throughout the year. The temperature range varies, depending on the location.
Climate features, depending on location
- In a tropical zone with a continental climate, the air temperature changes little.
- In temperate latitudes, interseasonal contrasts are more pronounced.
- Deserts and steppes are a vivid manifestation of the continental climate.
- In Eurasia - a temperate continental climate, it is formed on a large land area.
- In Europe, marine air calmly penetrates from the Atlantic to all areas. This contributes to the flat nature of the relief. Therefore, temperate climate prevails in Europe with a lesser continental manifestation, which is especially noticeable in comparison with Asia.
Comparative characteristics
The climate of the coast is marine. This is the result of the effects of currents and air masses. There are also territories where there is a pronounced transition from marine to continental climate.
The maritime climate is milder, with soft transitions of the seasons, but it is characterized by strong winds, high clouds and constant humidity.
Continental climate is dry, with low rainfall and low humidity.
Based on the above information, we tried to answer the following questions:
- How is the marine climate different from the continental?
- What are the features of the marine climate and what are the ways of its formation?