In December, Bill was driving through Florida with his family. As they drove closer to the coast, Bill noticed that the air grew a little

cooler. Which of the following statements best explains the temperature difference?

A. Air expands at higher temperatures.

B. Warm air moves toward the coastline from inland areas.

C. The land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.

D. The water heats up faster than the land, creating a land breeze.

Answer: Option C.

The land heats up faster than water creating Sea breeze.

Explanation:

The land absorb more solar radiation than water. Therefore the land retain heat on its surface and it become warm.

The water reflect most solar radiation that reach it back to the atmosphere, so it become cooler than the land. The warm air rises and the cooler air from the coastline replaces it, since the air is moving toward the sea, this is called sea breeze.

C. The land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.

Explanation:

The answer would be that the land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.

Due to difference in the specific heat capacity, water takes a bit of time to warm up when compared to land and when it does, it retains the heat longer when compared to land.

Consequently, during the day in the coastal area, the land heats up quickly and creates a pocket of warm, rising, and less dense air above it. The air above water is usually cooler and dense and moves into the space left by the warm air on land. This usually result in the cool breeze (sea breeze) experienced in coastal areas during the day.

During the night, the complete reverse of the process happen and it is referred to as land breeze.

The correct option is C.