Why are the waters off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, and San Francisco, California, so different in temperat
404074
the gulf stream makes the atlantic warmer
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It could also be the wind going in different directions pushing the top layer of the water in different directions which in turn, gives you different reflections which can appear to be separated.
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Water in the sea can vary in salt concentration, temperature and in ion ratios. The first two create differences in the density of the water and therefore warm / less salty (light) water floats on cold/ salty (heavy) water.\n\nSince these currents do not mix easily, different ratio's of ions in seawater can maintain their difference. These differences are created by sources of ions (vulcanic activity which can create specific ions, incoming rivers) or by the fact that certain ion concentrations (HCO3-, HSOx-) are very temperature dependent. \n\nusefull info can be found on http://www.biosbcc.net/ocean/marinesci/02ocean/swcomposition.htm
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Atlantic coasts have Nimbus clouds and hence they appear to be more cloudy
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Because it takes a lot more energy to change the temperature of water than it does to change the air temp, since water is considerably denser.  The large body of water thus acts as a "heat-sink" holding on to heat during the day and releasing it into the air at night to keep the temperatures more moderate.\n\nBy the way, "moderate" doesn't just mean warmer in the winter, it can also mean cooler in the summer -- just less extreme all year 'round.  The same way the water holds on to heat during the winter, it stays cooler in the summer and moderates summer temps by being a constant cool source and through evaporation.
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The predominant wind patterns are from the Ocean to land. The water is relatively cold off the shores of all California due to the Japan current. The energy to create storms that move inland are not there. Storms brought in from the East are often dissappated by the high mountain ranges along the California shore, in OC, as little as 10 miles away. The tremendous, fast uprise of wet air moving west dumps the water in the mountains and leaves little to effect the California shore. Due to the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, East Coast storms are much more dangerous and prevalent. The Great Planes have storms generated by massive cold 'bubbles' of artic air hitting the moist air from the Gulf or Atlantic...California is not positioned to have these effects...we have Earthquakes and threat of Tsunamis instead.
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A typical body of water absorbs and releases heat slower than the surface of the earth. That means that if it is hot for many days and then suddenly gets cold, the water will retain the heat longer then the land and the climate will be milder than if there was no water.\n\nThis effect can last for a long time around some bodies of water. For instance the water can retain some of the heat from the summer well into the fall. Of course the flip side is true as well, the water will be cool during the summer. \n\nThe result of all of this is to smooth over rapid ups and down in daily temperature when there is a large body of water near by - and therefore a generally milder climate.\n\n\nAlso important in some areas are ocean currents. Western Europe is kept relatively warm because of the Gulf Stream which brings warm water from near the equator to that region. If the Gulf Stream was ever disrupted, western Europe would generally be colder.
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Insider Mole has a pretty good answer. You might add that, because the Atlantic is narrower, the effect of the Gulf Stream is more pronounced than the similar currents that move throughout the Pacific Ocean. I don't know for certain but that is what I would believe.
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Depends on the tempertaure of the water amongst other things.
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This is called the Mpemba effect.  It occurs for other reasons than the temperature of the water,  Mostly because of the different characteristics of water at different temperatures.  This Site has a lot of information about it.
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I get what you're asking. The answer is that the tidal cycle from high water to low water is a little longer than twelve hours long. Because of the earth's tilted axis (that's what causes summer and winter) the tidal cycle is not a simple sine curve and the two daily high tides are not equal in height. This cycle repeats on a 14 day period. Anyway, since the Atlantic coast is only 4 hrs different that the Pacific Coast, there are 4 short periods during each 24 hour day when the tides on the Atlantic coast will be moving the opposite direction of the tides on the Pacific Coast. \n\nTo see how this works, go look at the graph on this page title "Mixed, semi-diurnal tide" and look at any given 4 hour period. You'll see the result. \nhttp://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/03-04/marine/res_resourcebkd.htm
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The East Coast is relatively warmer than the West Coast.\nThus being more conducive to crustacean / mollusck habitation at sea
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The most important change would be with the weather, for example California would have more rainfall but the east would have substantially less. This would also cause a shift in the ocean currents and the vast rivers under the oceans could be reversed causing further climatic change.
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Because the sea level in the pacific is different than the sea level in the atlantic. Rather than having fast rapids flowing from one side to the other (more erosion and harder for ships to navigate), they have level sections of water separated by locks.
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They adapt to the water around them.
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Wherever you are north or south it is hotter in summer than any other season. Though the timing of summer is different for different places. This is what i could make out of your question.
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Southern California for one. It can be arid during the day and cool at night, due to the nearby ocean breezes.  Not quite as cool as you go more inland.