Question

During the afternoon, sea breezes usually form as winds blow toward land. Which condition MOST likely causes a sea breeze to occur in the afternoon?

A) Land heating up more quickly than the sea
B) Sea heating up more quickly than the land
C) Equal heating of both land and sea
D) Absence of sunlight
E) High atmospheric pressure over the sea

Answer 1

Land heating up more quickly than the sea is the condition that MOST likely causes a sea breeze to occur in the afternoon. Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sea breezes occur along coastlines when cool air moves from the ocean toward the shore. During the day, this effect is stronger when the air temperature on land is higher than that above the water. This happens because land heats up more quickly than the sea.

To understand why land heats up more quickly, we can consider the specific heat capacities of water and sand. Water has a high specific heat capacity, which means it takes longer to heat up and cool down compared to sand or land. Therefore, during the day, the land's temperature rises faster than the sea, leading to the formation of a sea breeze.