Describe how convection occurs in fluids. How do convection currents contribute to natural phenomena such as sea breezes and wind patterns?

Solution & explanation

Heating expands a fluid and usually lowers its density. Buoyancy lifts it while cooler fluid moves in, completing circulation. By day, land often heats faster than water, air rises over land and cooler near-surface sea air moves inland. Large-scale winds also depend on pressure gradients, Earth’s rotation and geography; convection alone is not the whole explanation.