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This section describes the effects of oceans, both coastal and inland,
and of the Great Lakes particularly in Ontario
Oceans - Coastal vs Inland | Ontario
- Great Lakes
Oceans - Coastal vs Inland
Large bodies of water such as oceans, seas, and large lakes affect
the climate of an area. Water heats and cools more slowly than
land. Therefore, in the summer, the coastal regions will stay cooler
and in winter warmer. A more moderate climate with a smaller temperature
range is created.
Ocean Boundaries
If there are no bodies of water to moderate the climate the same
conditions follow as with vast, flat plains. The climate condition
is continental with more extreme temperatures, a larger range,
and less precipitation.
Storms occur over water and over continents. Hurricanes are massive
storms that produce heavy winds and rain over a large area. The
warmer air masses traveling from the south up the eastern coast
of the United States in the spring and summer sometimes bring the
remnants of a hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Onlyon
a very few occasions has Ontario experienced the full force of
a hurricane.
More common are tornadoes. They form in the spring and summer,
especially after a period of intense heat. They are violent, localized
storms with powerful funnel clouds that cause much damage.
NOAA
Ocean Currents
Ocean currents are a factor in determining the climate of a place.
Much as in the air and rock cycles, convection circulates water
in currents. This is caused by the movement of cold water to hot.
Warm water flows from the equator and cold from the poles. This
movement is interrupted or altered by large landmasses.
Global Ocean Currents. Note the Gulf Stream and the current meeting
near Newfoundland.
In Ontario, the ocean currents have little direct effect on the
climate but the climate of southern Ontario is influenced by the
Great Lakes. The summers and winters are moderate. Temperatures
are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than places at
the same latitude in the rest of Canada.
Ontario - Great Lakes - Nearness to Water
Large bodies of water, such as oceans, seas and large lakes, can
affect the climate of an area. Water heats and cools more slowly
than landmasses. Therefore, the coastal regions will stay cooler
in summer and warmer in winter, thus creating a more moderate climate
with a narrower temperature range.
The Great Lakes - See the Great Lakes
Basin map in Ontario section 5.2
Activities are listed in individual sub-sections.
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