A study of sea and land breezes in an archipelago on the west coast of Sweden

Abstract

Abstract This paper reports analyses of recordings made on three tower masts in order to study the dynamics of sea and land breezes as well as the development of these systems in an archipelago along the west coast of Sweden. Intensive studies have focused on the duration and strength of sea and land breezes and the development of small‐scale systems controlled by the irregular coastline in the study area. The internal dynamics of the land breeze and the occurrence of temperature variations in the coastal area are discussed as well as the interrelationship between these factors. The studies show that the sea and land breezes are well developed when the synoptic‐scale pressure gradient is relatively weak. However, a division into smaller systems has been observed, i.e. small islands outside the coastline develop their own wind systems. In the archipelago, a primary sea breeze with no interaction with the main coastline develops during the first hours after sunrise. The primary sea breeze continues to act until a stronger sea breeze, developed in interaction with the main coastline, begins to blow. This phenomenon was not observed for the land breeze. Here, no general land breeze develops, instead a breeze was recorded which always blew towards the coastline.