continentality | the sea takes more time to heat up and cool down than land does. in the summer the land heats up really quickly and therefore air temperatures nearby also heat up quickly. in winter the land cools down quickly and air temperatures cool quickly too. the sea on the other hand has a much higher thermal capacity and is therefore slower to warm up. when the summer arrives, it takes months for the oceans to warm up, so temperatures on land close to the sea are buffered by the oceans. in the summer this means they don't heat up as much. In the winter after the end of a long hot summer, the sea retains its heat for longer. so whilst inland area's temperature drop quickly, areas nearer the coast are left warmer and then temperatures on land close to the sea don’t drop as dramatically.
|