Sea temperatures, confused ?

[SunnySpain]

Hiya,

I have a question about sea temperatures.

Why is it that the water in the sea on the costa del sol is colder than sea-water in the North of Spain ?

Maybe its only a temporal thing, but for instance its 16 degrees on the CDS right now and yet its 20 degrees in the North.

I find this quite baffling, anyone know the answer ?


Dave

[SunnySpain]

Noone got an idea what the answer might be ?

[Suenneil]

Originally Posted by SunnySpain

Noone got an idea what the answer might be ?

Im afraid I have no answers for you !!! but just felt so sad that no one else had replied !!

[mayotom]

Not sure if I'm right but it maybe to do with the North Atlantic Drift(Gulf Stream) this keeps the sea temperatures up all along the coast from Portugal to Ireland and Scotland.

But I don't understand why the Med is so low, it should have gotten higher by now, it is usual to be colder in late Spring due to the Volume of melt water coming from European mountains, but normally by the end of the summer the Med will be much hotter than the Atlantic,

[SunnySpain]

Originally Posted by mayotom

Not sure if I'm right but it maybe to do with the North Atlantic Drift(Gulf Stream) this keeps the sea temperatures up all along the coast from Portugal to Ireland and Scotland.

But I don't understand why the Med is so low, it should have gotten higher by now, it is usual to be colder in late Spring due to the Volume of melt water coming from European mountains, but normally by the end of the summer the Med will be much hotter than the Atlantic,

Hi Mayotom and thanks for your reply.

I would love to know the answer. We went to the beach in Marbella at the weekend and the sea was ice-cold, so much so that very few people would enter the sea

My OH commented that the sea on the Med is colder (now) than the Atlantic up on the north coast. We then looked it up on the internet and found it was true.

Its a mystery to me and I think someone should contact the media and ask them why to report on the reason why...

Dave

[SunnySpain]

After a little further investigation we find the following:


Cantabrico sea (Cantabria & Asturias) = 20 degrees

Atlantico ocean (Galicia) = very cold...sorry Tally - lol


Med meets Atlantic current (Costa del Sol) = 16 degrees


Med (Valencia) = much warmer...maybe Strav or someone can tell us the actual temperature of the sea as of today ?


Well you lean something new every day, Dave

[Xose]

Originally Posted by SunnySpain

After a little further investigation we find the following:


Cantabrico sea (Cantabria & Asturias) = 20 degrees

Atlantico ocean (Galicia) = very cold...sorry Tally - lol


Med meets Atlantic current (Costa del Sol) = 16 degrees


Med (Valencia) = much warmer...maybe Strav or someone can tell us the actual temperature of the sea as of today ?


Well you lean something new every day, Dave

Hi Dave,
Thanks to Einstein, I will find the sea warmer in Galicia this summer than you will in the South. The man said that relativity is everything and I agree. If I'm lying on a beach at 30 degrees and you're lying on a beach at 45 degrees, your water had better be bloody hot - or it's gona be cold even when it isn't... if you get Einsteins drift

Xose

[littleredrooster]

Interesting one.
I believe increase in the sea temp always lags well behind adjacent land mass temps and there are sizable land masses on the Sol in relation to the sea.
The gulf stream moves first across to the Northern half of Europe before circulating back to the South and drifting back to the West by way of the Canaries,approx.
Hence the annual rowing boat race from the Canaries to Central America.
(They virtually drift across by themselves.)
With regard to the Valencia area,maybe thats because the Med is more static and shallower than the Atlantic ,so the Sun has a better chance to heat it quicker.
Just my two-penneth for what its worth.

[SunnySpain]

Originally Posted by Xose

Hi Dave,
Thanks to Einstein, I will find the sea warmer in Galicia this summer than you will in the South. The man said that relativity is everything and I agree. If I'm lying on a beach at 30 degrees and you're lying on a beach at 45 degrees, your water had better be bloody hot - or it's gona be cold even when it isn't... if you get Einsteins drift

Xose

Ah yes I thik you could be on to something there. Very good indeed

[SunnySpain]

Originally Posted by Xose

Hi Dave,
Thanks to Einstein, I will find the sea warmer in Galicia this summer than you will in the South. The man said that relativity is everything and I agree. If I'm lying on a beach at 30 degrees and you're lying on a beach at 45 degrees, your water had better be bloody hot - or it's gona be cold even when it isn't... if you get Einsteins drift

Xose

I've thought about it a bit more and discussed it with the OH and we think that although you have a good point, your explanation does not cover the reason why the actual sea-water temperature is only 16 degrees on the Costa del Sol and yet in the Cantabrico its 20 degrees

Any thoughts ?

Dave