Consider the following statements : Statement-I : The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter. Statement-II : The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
A
Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
B
Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
C
Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
D
Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Correct answer
Explanation
Statement I is incorrect and Statement II is correct. Land heats and cools much faster than water, and the contrast between them is greatest in winter: in January the interiors of Siberia and northern Canada fall far below freezing while the oceans at the same latitudes stay comparatively mild, whereas in July the land is warmer than the sea by a much smaller margin. That is why the isotherms bend most sharply between ocean and continent on the January map and run closer to the parallels in July. Water's specific heat (about 4.2 joules per gram per degree Celsius) is several times that of rock and soil, so the oceans gain and lose heat slowly, as Statement II says.
ClimatologyTemperature Distribution and Specific HeatTemperature contrastcontinentsoceanssummerwinterspecific heatland surfacewater