The sea breeze with mean flow

A quasi‐geostrophic mean flow can form the basic state upon which a sea breeze is superimposed; a model is described. With a mean flow perpendicular to the coast the speed of the sea breeze front is shown to be a linear function of the onshore component of the mean flow. When a constant mean flow is introduced the general structure of the sea breeze is unchanged. In particular, for a constant energy input the intensity is also unaltered. In contrast, a shear changes the general qualitative structure but leaves the speed of the front and the intensity of the sea breeze unchanged. These features are consistent with the available potential energy of the system and a constant transfer, per unit area, of this into kinetic energy. Model results and other studies are discussed.