Progress in the study of sea land breeze: Identification, observation, and interacting factors

Sea-land breeze (SLB) is a widespread atmospheric circulation observed in most coastal regions, playing a crucial role in shaping regional meteorological and environmental conditions. Research on SLBs remains relatively niche within studies of multi-scale circulation systems. Nevertheless, recent advances in observational technologies have led to notable progress in this field. This paper provides a comprehensive review of up-to-date progress in SLB research. Regarding SLB identification, the development of criteria leveraging various meteorological variables has been refined with the increasing availability of diverse data sources. In terms of SLB observation, the extensive deployment of automatic meteorological stations and improvements in radar remote sensing have facilitated a more detailed understanding of its characteristics, including its occurrence frequency, penetration distance, and climatological trends in wind speeds. Continuous decreasing trends of SLB have been found in areas undergoing urbanization. With respect to its interacting factors, substantial progress has been made in elucidating the effects of clouds, large-scale wind fields, temperature, and topography on SLB, among which a mild wind field is considered as a key prerequisite for SLB. In turn, SLB itself exerts a profound impact on meteorological and environmental conditions. Notably, it impacts the formation of sea fog by modulating temperature and humidity. Recent theories suggest that SLB interactions encompass both linear and nonlinear mechanisms. This review also identifies that future challenges in SLB research lie in precise spatiotemporal characterization of breeze systems and elucidating the less understood impacts of aerosols on SLB. Key aspects include quantifying cloud-free aerosol radiative forcing and unraveling aerosol-cloud interactions, both of which are critical mechanisms modulating in-situ radiation and consequently shaping SLB dynamics.