Chapter 7 - Land Water Heating Differences

Land heats and cools much more rapidly than water, which effects not only air temperature directly above each type of surface, but also adjacent areas influenced by them. Dry land heats and cools more rapidly because radiation cannot penetrate the solid surface to any meaningful extent. Conversely, radiation can penetrate the surface layer of water to a relatively greater depth. The depths of the water is often mixing, leading to a slower but deeper, cooling or heating. The annual range of temperatures is vastly different between land and water, with the land having a higher heat temperature in the summer and a lower cold temperature during the winter, while water records only a modest temperature range.