Question

Coastal areas have mild winters compared to inland areas due to ________ ocean water heating the air above the ocean and then flowing toward the coast?

1) warm
2) cold
3) humid
4) dry

Answer 1

Coastal areas experience milder winters due to warm ocean water moderating temperatures by retaining heat and slowly releasing it, unlike inland areas that lack this effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

Coastal areas have mild winters compared to inland areas due to warm ocean water heating the air above the ocean and then flowing toward the coast.

This phenomenon is because water has a very high specific heat compared to most other substances, meaning that it takes more energy to increase the temperature of water compared to land.

Coastal regions benefit from the ocean's ability to retain heat from summer during the winter months, which moderates the climate and results in milder winters.

In contrast, inland areas lack this large, heat-regulating body of water and thus experience more extreme temperature variations, leading to colder winters akin to those in the upper Midwestern United States.