Question

A 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) The land heats up more quickly than the sea, creating lower pressure over the land.
B) The sea heats up more quickly than the land, creating lower pressure over the sea.
C) The land and sea heat up at the same rate, creating equal pressure.
D) The sea cools down more quickly than the land, creating higher pressure over the sea.

Answer 1

Sea breezes occur due to the land heating up faster than the sea, creating a low-pressure area over land and causing winds to blow from the sea to the land during the afternoon. The correct answer is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sea breezes form during the day as a result of the land heating up more quickly than the sea, creating lower pressure over the land. This difference in heating rates is due to the specific heat capacities of water and land materials like sand: water has a high capacity and takes longer to heat up and cool down, while sand heats up and cools down more quickly. Thus, option A) 'The land heats up more quickly than the sea, creating lower pressure over the land' is the correct condition that causes a sea breeze to occur in the afternoon. At night, this process is reversed, and the cooler land causes a higher pressure area, leading to a land breeze where the wind blows from the land toward the sea.