<p>The major factor is not the size or temperature of the ocean, it is the <em>differential</em> temperatures, and hence large scale convection, such as Hadley cells, Monsoons and tropical storms. With the latter, large oceans are relatively deep with thin warm water over vastly deeper cold water. The minimum temperature for as hurricane to form is about $27^\circ\!$C ($80^\circ\!$F), which most commonly develops over relatively shallow water, or where there is a massive influx of warm water such as the current El Niño. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-27T20:48:34.610Z
2015-11-28T04:31:09.670Z
2015-11-28T04:31:09.670Z
Gordon Stanger
<p>This question only pertains to oceans of water and how much they account for the process of creating high winds on a planet with any type of atmosphere.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-27T21:26:22.803Z
I am pretty sure mars has high winds.  It has no ocean.
Eric Deloak
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-28T09:14:11.843Z
It's a tricky question.   Ocean currents stabilize temperatures on Earth, keeping the poles slightly warmer and the equator, at least over the oceans, cooler.   Evaporating water removes heat and condensing water adds heat, so oceans I think, reduce wind as a temperature stabilizer but they also make hurricanes possible, so I think it goes both ways.   But, I'm not smart enough to answer this with any certainty.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-30T06:06:36.660Z
Do you mean extreme surface winds (which indeed, oceans are a significant contributor to... due to heat energy fueling both warm-core [hurricanes] and baroclinic low growth... as well as directly over water due to the reduced friction allowing stronger winds) or do you mean mean typical winds, which indeed seems more complex?
JeopardyTempest
<meteorology><ocean><planetary-science><wind>
Are oceans a major factor in creating high winds on a planet?
user5434678
# Are oceans a major factor in creating high winds on a planet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-26)

This question only pertains to oceans of water and how much they account for the process of creating high winds on a planet with any type of atmosphere.

**Tags:** meteorology, ocean, planetary-science, wind

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I am pretty sure mars has high winds.  It has no ocean.  
> **username_2**: It's a tricky question.   Ocean currents stabilize temperatures on Earth, keeping the poles slightly warmer and the equator, at least over the oceans, cooler.   Evaporating water removes heat and condensing water adds heat, so oceans I think, reduce wind as a temperature stabilizer but they also make hurricanes possible, so I think it goes both ways.   But, I'm not smart enough to answer this with any certainty.  
> **username_3**: Do you mean extreme surface winds (which indeed, oceans are a significant contributor to... due to heat energy fueling both warm-core [hurricanes] and baroclinic low growth... as well as directly over water due to the reduced friction allowing stronger winds) or do you mean mean typical winds, which indeed seems more complex?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-11-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The major factor is not the size or temperature of the ocean, it is the *differential* temperatures, and hence large scale convection, such as Hadley cells, Monsoons and tropical storms. With the latter, large oceans are relatively deep with thin warm water over vastly deeper cold water. The minimum temperature for as hurricane to form is about $27^\circ\!$C ($80^\circ\!$F), which most commonly develops over relatively shallow water, or where there is a massive influx of warm water such as the current El Niño.


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