Objectives

Standards Addressed

Introduction and Background

Classroom Activity

Resources and Links

Teacher Guide

The three weathers stations used in this activity were located at Myrtle Beach State Park (MBSP), Lakewood Elementary School (LWE) and Socastee High School (SHS)

1. Approximately, how far is each weather station from the ocean?

Oceans Effect on Temperature

2. The first data was collected in mid September. In September, after the long, hot summer the ocean is at its highest temperature. The weather is still quite warm with air temperatures approaching 90°F, quite a bit warmer than the ocean temperature.

Download the data: sept.xls or sept.txt. Graph the temperature versus time, plotting all three stations on the same plot.

3. Match the data from the three weather stations with the three locations on the above map. Which station is MBSP, LWE, and SHS? Explain why you matched the data with each location.

4. The next set of data was collected in mid November. The weather has changed significantly since September. The ocean temperature has cooled several degrees. The land temperatures are much cooler with nighttime temperatures dipping into the 40's°F.

Download the data: nov.xls or nov.txt. Again, graph the temperature versus time, plotting all three stations on the same plot.

5. Again, match the data from the three weather stations with the three locations on the above map. Explain why you matched the data with each location.

6. Compare the two graphs that you have made. Why is station 2 the warmest for all 24 hours in November, but in September it is the warmest for only a portion of the day?

Thermal Circulation Cells and Sea Breezes

7. You will need a copy of all three pages of plots.doc or plots.rtf. These wind measurements were taken during June at Myrtle Beach State Park, when the coastal winds are often dominated by the formation of a Thermal Circulation Cell which creates land and sea breezes. Download the data:june.xls or june.txt. On the blank axis provided plot the wind direction for June 26 and 27.

8. Explain the pattern that you see in the data. When during the days is a sea breeze present? At what time does the sea breeze begin? Why would it begin at this time of day.? At what times during the days is a land breeze present? Why is it present at these times?

9. Next, we are going to plot the data on a wind rose. On wind rose 1 the white squares will represent June 26 and the grey squares will represent June 27. For each hour the wind is blowing in a particular direction color in one square on the wind rose in that same direction. For example, the first data point is for 12:00AM June 26 and the wind is out of the Northwest. Color in one white square in the Northwest portion of the rose. Do this for all 48 hours. It may help to shade in the white squares and the grey squares with different colors.

10. What is the main difference in the data between the two days? Explain why this might be. Does the data indicate the presence of land or sea breezes?

11. On wind rose 2 the white squares will represent all A.M. hours and the grey squares all P.M. data. Plot all 48 hours on wind rose 2. It may help to shade in the white squares and the grey squares with different colors.

12. Analyze this plot. What does it tell you about the coastal winds at Myrtle Beach in June? Does this make sense knowing what you do about Coastal Cells?

Review Questions and Assignments

1. Draw and label a Coastal Cell. Explain how they form. How do they affect the weather along the coast on a day-to-day basis? How do they form sea and land breezes?
2. Download the data in data.xls or data.txt. You already have identified the location of stations 1, 2, and 3 in Questions 3 and 5. They are the same stations in this question. Plot the temperature data on one plot. Does this data come from summer or from autumn? Explain why you believe so.
3. Why might a sea breeze form on some summer days and not on others?
4. Would you expect thunderstorms on days there are sea breezes or no sea breezes?