Question

Large bodies of water tend to moderate the temperature of nearby land. For example, the air temperature around the San Francisco Bay is relatively constant from day to night and throughout the year. Sure, it is a bit warmer in the day than at night, but the change in temperature is not nearly as dramatic as it is in places that are further away from the bay, like Pleasanton, where it can reach the 100s in the day and the 30s at night. This is due to which feature of water?

Answer 1

Heat capacity of water

Explanation:

The high heat capacity of water keeps its temperature within a relatively narrow range, causing nearby coastal areas to also have a narrow daily and seasonal temperature range.

In contrast, areas with similar weather conditions that are farther from the coast tend to have a much wider range of seasonal and daily temperatures.

To summarize, large bodies of water tend to moderate the temperature of nearby land due to the high heat capacity of water. This high heat capacity results from both the higher specific heat of water and the mixing of heat throughout a greater depth over oceans.