Question

In December, Bill was driving through Florida with his family. As they drove closer to the coast, Bill noticed that the air grew a little cooler. Which of the following statements best explains the temperature difference?

1. Air expands at higher temperatures.
2. Warm air moves toward the coastline from inland areas.
3. The land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.
4. The water heats up faster than the land, creating a land breeze.

Answer 1

3. The land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Florida, the average high-temperature is 72.9°F (22.7°C), and the average low-temperature is 52.3°F (11.3°C) in the month of December. A sea breeze can be described as it is a wind that blows from the ocean inland towards the land. This breeze occurs most often when there is a temperature differences between the ocean and nearby land, particularly in the afternoon when the land is at maximum heating from the sun.

The sun heats up both the ocean surface and the land during the day. Water and land, both absorb the energy from the sun. Water heats up much more slowly than land and so the air above the land will be warmer compared to the air over the ocean. The warm air over the land will rise throughout the day, causing low pressure at the surface. Over the water, high surface pressure will form because of the colder air. To compensate, the air will sink over the ocean. The wind will blow from the higher pressure over the water to lower pressure over the land causing the sea breeze.