Land and sea breezes occur as a result of differential heating of land and water. During the day, the land heats up faster than the water, causing the air above the land to rise and cooler air from the sea to move in to replace it. This is the sea breeze. At night, the land cools off faster than the water, causing the air above the water to rise and cooler air from the land to move in to replace it. This is the land breeze. This daily cycle of sea and land breezes is a result of the differential heating of land and water by the sun.