Heat loss or gain occurs at the sea surface and is distributed throughout large volumes of water. This mixing process sharply reduces the temperature contrasts between day and night and between winter and summer. It has long been recognized that the ocean plays an important part in climate and weather, particularly in the realms of temperature, humid-ity, and precipitation. This is only natural, since three-fourths of Earth s surface is covered by water. Continental climate is generally evidenced by a wide range in annual and diurnal temperatures, little cloudiness, and little precipitation.
Continental climate is a product of a minimal influence from the oceans.
Maritime climate prevails over the oceans and is charac-terized by a small temperature range, both annual and diurnal, and considerable precipitation and cloudiness. Water vapor is considered one of the most imp-ortant variables in meteorology. The state of the weather is largely expressed in terms of the amount of water vapor present and what is hap-pening to the water vapor. Two principal elements of climate, precipitation and humidity, are de-pendent upon water vapor. Since the oceans are the main source of water vapor, it follows that weather is largely controlled by the oceans.