State with specific examples, how each of the following factors affect(s) the climate of adjacent coastlands: (a) Winds (b) Ocean currents (c) Distance from the sea
Explanation
(a) Winds: Warm winds raise the temperature of adjacent coastlands, e.g the westerlies bring warm air into Western Europe. Cold winds lower the temperature of adjacent coastlands e.g cold polar winds lower the temperature of the coasts of Newfoundland. Warm, moist winds from the ocean bring rainfall to the adjacent coastland, e.g S.W Monsoon in West Africa. Dry winds from the interior do not produce rain rather they produce dust and dryness, e.g Northeast trade wind brings no rain but dust and dryness to the coastal lands of West Africa. Off shore winds blowing from the interior to the coast produce fogs at the coast, e.g fog formation along the Namibian coast. (b) Ocean Current: Cold currents lower the temperature of adjacent coastlands e.g the Benguella current, currents help in the formation of foes along the coast e.g cold Benguela and Canaries current. Warm currents raise temperature of the adjacent coastlands e.g warm Guinea and warm Mozambican currents. Cold currents result in the formation of coastal deserts e.g Kalahari desert because of cold Benguela current, Sahara desert bec use of cold canaries current (c) Distance from the sea: Generally the further inland from the sea the less rainfall, e.g Freetown on the coast and Timbuktu inland. Smaller range of temperature along the coast than inland e.g Calabar (less than 30°C) and Agades (more than 15°C) Higher humidity along the coast than further inland generally (one town along the coast and any town inland). Thicker cloud cover along the coast than inland.