Heat Capacity and Climate

The climate is quite different at the coast from the land because of the idea of specific heat capacity, which is the quantity of heat energy necessary to increase the temperature of a substance by just 2° C. Water has a very high specific heat capacity (~ 4,186 J·kg⁻¹·K⁻¹) compared to land (~ 800–1,000 J·kg⁻¹·K⁻¹), which means it can absorb and store more heat without experiencing rapid (increased) changes in temperature: Heat Capacity and Climate

In coastal areas, an adjacent ocean serves as a thermal buffer. In summer, it takes up large quantities of solar energy, keeping the air temperature from increasing. In winter, the ocean releases the stored heat slowly until the air is warmer than the land (Wan & Hwang, 2023).

The consequences are softer, more uniform temperatures throughout the year in coastal areas where the temperature fluctuations between day maxes and night min are minor or between the summer and winter periods are less dramatic. This effect is most visible in places like San Diego or on the coasts of Western Europe.

Conversely, areas inland have no such buffering. Since land surfaces warm and cool quickly, these areas have hot summers and cold winters with large daytime temperature differences (Wan,& Hwang, 2023). This phenomenon, known as continentality, results in larger temperature parameters and sharp seasonal changes.

An analogous principle explains why the South Pole is colder than the North Pole. The polar regions are located atop the Antarctic continent, a high, icy landmass with low specific heat. On the other hand, the North Pole is located atop sea ice on top of the Arctic Ocean.

Below the water, the water is warmer compared with land, so the North Pole has milder weather conditions. This explains how geography and heat capacity impact regional climate.

References

Wan, H., & Hwang, Y. (2023). A review of recent residential heat pump systems and applications in cold climates. In 14th IEA Heat Pump Conference. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1976056

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The concept of specific heat and heat capacity has a direct correlation to climate.

Heat Capacity and Climate

Explain why the climate is so different on the coast compared to inland, or why the climate of the south pole is so different from the climate of the north pole.