Interactive Activity

Coastal Winds and Clouds © Explore Learning


Background Information:

This activity will help you to visualize the convection currents caused by the ocean, land breezes, and sea breezes. Remember, land and sea breezes do not just happen along the coast where land meets the ocean but also where the land meets any large body of water. This includes large lakes, such as the great lakes. Smaller bodies of water will have the same affect but to a much lesser degree. This means there will still be land and sea breezes, but they will be much less noticeable and will have a much smaller effect on the temperature of the area.

Please note: if you scroll down while in the Gizmo you will see a list of questions. You DO NOT need to complete these questions. You are able to complete them for extra practice if you would like.


  1. Click on the play icon to open the Gizmo. Print students can access the Gizmo in the Online Resources for Print Students Section of their online course.
  2. Click the play button and watch the simulation.
  3. Click the pause button when the sailboat starts to move toward the shore. This represents the start of the sea breeze. What time is it?

    It is around 10 a.m.
  4. Click the play button and then click the pause button when the sailboat starts moving out to sea again. This represents the start of the land breeze. What time is it now?

    It is around 1 a.m.
  1. Click the play button and watch the movement of the clouds. What do you notice?

    Clouds appear early in the morning and in the afternoon. The morning clouds move toward the shore, and the afternoon clouds move toward the sea.
  1. Click the reset button and turn on the weather probe.
  2. Hypothesize about which area you think will heat up faster during the day: the land or the sea. Which will cool down faster at night?

    You must hypothesize what you think will happen. You will use this hypothesis in your Assignment D2.
  3. Click the play button on the simulation and the pause button at each of the times listed in the chart below. For each time, fill in the ocean air temperature, land air temperature, type of breeze, and wind speed by moving the weather probe to the appropriate location in the simulation.

    Time Ocean Air Temperature (ËšC)
    		Land Air Temperature (ËšC) Sea Breeze or Land Breeze?
    		Wind Speed (km/h)
    6 a.m.




    9 a.m.



    12 p.m.



    3 p.m.



    6 p.m.



    9 p.m.



    12 a.m.



    3 a.m.



  4. Please return to the top of this page and click on analysis to complete the analysis questions.
© Explore learning
D5.24 Weather probe

    1. How much does the temperature over the ocean change in one day?

      It changes by approximately 2 ËšC.
    2. How much does the temperature over the land change in one day?

      It changes by approximately 13.5 ËšC.
    3. At what time of day does a land breeze normally occur? What is always true when there is a land breeze?

      The land breeze occurs when the ocean air is warmer than the land air; so it will happen at night.
    4. How does the temperature change over the ocean and land explain the existence of land and sea breezes?

      The sea breeze occurs when the land air is warmer than the ocean air; so it will happen during the day.