Question

Water thus has a moderating influence on T° such that average monthly T°s of a location near a large water body will not vary as much between summer and winter compared to a location far away from an ocean. So would coastal land or inland have more variation in T?

Answer 1

Inland areas have more temperature variation than coastal areas due to the high specific heat of water, which moderates coastal temperatures. Water acts as a natural coolant, absorbing heat on hot days and releasing it on cool ones, leading to more temperate climates near large bodies of water.

Step-by-step explanation:

Inland areas experience more variation in temperature compared to coastal land due to the high specific heat of water. Water's ability to absorb and release large amounts of heat with minimal temperature change acts as a regulator for coastal climates.

Thus, the environmental temperature variation remains moderate in coastal areas, thanks to the water's thermal inertia, whereas inland regions can undergo extremes of hot and cold, resembling the temperature fluctuations of the upper Midwestern United States. Water's role as a natural coolant for the Earth's climates is crucial, as it helps to stabilize the temperature by absorbing heat on hot days and releasing it back into the air on cooler days.

This characteristic of water explains why coastal climates tend to be more temperate even for regions at high latitudes. Additionally, this thermal property of water contributes to more mild winters and cooler summers near large bodies of water, contrasting with the more extreme seasonal temperatures experienced inland.