Coastal Climate - Kaigankiko

This climate is predominant on land along the coast. It is similar to the mild marine climate found on islands in the ocean, but has transitional characteristics between this and continental climates. Compared to continental climates, the daily and annual temperature ranges are smaller, and the maximum and minimum temperatures occur later than inland due to the heat capacity of seawater, which is slow to heat up and cool down. Sea and land breezes tend to develop all year round in low latitudes, but in mid- and high-latitude regions, the daily alternation of sea and land breezes is prominent, mainly during the warm season. The coastal climate becomes more distinct in periods or regions where winds from the sea to the land, such as these sea breezes and summer monsoons, are dominant. When winds from the sea blow over cold currents (such as the "Yamase" that blows in the Tohoku region), thick sea fog develops and invades inland, causing agricultural damage due to low temperatures and lack of sunlight, and salt damage from the sea breezes.

[Yoshitaka Fukuoka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

海岸沿いの陸地に卓越する気候。大洋上にある島にみられる温和な海洋性気候と似ているが、これと大陸性気候との間の漸移的な特徴を有する。大陸性気候に比べると、気温の日較差や年較差が小さく、暖まりにくく冷めにくい海水の熱容量の影響で、最高・最低温度が内陸より遅れて現れる。低緯度地方では一年中、海陸風が発達しやすいが、中・高緯度地方は主として暖候季に海風と陸風の日交替が顕著である。この海風や夏の季節風のように、海から陸への風が卓越する時期あるいは地域ほど海岸気候が明確となる。海からの風が寒流海上を吹走する場合（たとえば東北地方に吹く「やませ」など）は、海霧が濃く発達して内陸に侵入し、低温と日照不足で農業上冷害をもたらしたり、潮風で塩害を被ることがある。

［福岡義隆］

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