Question map
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?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4.
Statement-I is incorrect: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is actually greater during winter than in summer. In winter, landmasses at high latitudes cool down rapidly to sub-zero temperatures, while adjacent oceans remains relatively warmer due to water's high heat capacity. In summer, while land is hotter, the temperature gradient is generally less extreme compared to the sharp drops seen in winter (e.g., the intense contrast between the Siberian landmass and the North Pacific/Atlantic).
Statement-II is correct: The specific heat of water is significantly higher (about five times) than that of soil or rock. This means water requires more energy to raise its temperature and loses energy more slowly. Additionally, factors like vertical mixing, transparency, and evaporation allow oceans to store vast amounts of heat, causing them to heat up and cool down much slower than land.
Since Statement-I is false and Statement-II is true, Option 4 is the only valid choice.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'Concept vs. Intuition' trap. While basic books (NCERT/Leong) teach that land heats/cools faster, aspirants often wrongly assume 'Summer Heat' creates the biggest gap. Standard texts (PMF IAS, Leong) explicitly state winter contrasts are sharper due to extreme continental cooling. Fair, but requires applying physics to geography.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is the temperature contrast between continents and oceans greater in summer than in winter?
- Statement 2: Is the specific heat capacity of water greater than the specific heat capacity of typical land surface materials (soil and rock)?
- Statement 3: Does the higher specific heat capacity of water compared to land explain why the temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater in summer than in winter?
- Provides explicit quantitative comparison of land vs ocean temperature differences by season in the NH midlatitudes.
- Shows winter land-ocean contrast (land colder than ocean by 2.9Ā°C) is larger in magnitude than summer contrast (land warmer by 1.7Ā°C).
- Concludes that the cooling effect of land in winter outweighs its warming effect in summer, directly addressing which season has the greater contrast.
- Describes the seasonal sign change of the landāocean temperature difference: ocean warmer in winter, land warmer in summer.
- Explains physical reason (land cools more in winter and warms more in summer) and notes the seasonal variation is larger in the Northern Hemisphere where continents are larger.
- Supports the conclusion that seasonal magnitudes differ and allows comparison of which season can exhibit a larger contrast.
States that during winter there is a high contrast between land and sea (belt broken into two centres) while in summer a lesser contrast results ā directly indicating seasonal change in landāsea contrast.
A student could combine this with a world map showing large continental interiors to infer that landāsea temperature contrast is larger in winter than in summer in the affected hemisphere.
Explains continental interiors have extremes of temperature ā very warm summers and very cold winters ā highlighting strong seasonal temperature swings over land.
Extend by comparing these extreme continental seasonal swings to the milder maritime temperatures (from other snippets) to judge whether landāocean contrast peaks in summer or winter.
States continental interiors have greater range of temperature than maritime districts and that ocean currents moderate coastal temperatures (narrower ranges).
Use this rule plus knowledge that oceans change temperature more slowly to assess whether the difference between land and sea is seasonally larger (compare peak continental cold in winter vs peak continental heat in summer).
Describes isotherm behaviour: oceans cause poleward shift and continents allow cold polar winds to penetrate equatorward (continentality), showing stronger temperature gradients over continents.
A student could map isotherm spacing by season (using basic maps) to see whether continentalāocean gradients tighten more in winter or summer.
Notes seasonal inversion between hemispheres and that westerlies carry ocean heat inland affecting western margins, implying seasonal transport differences influence landāsea contrasts.
Combine this with hemisphere land distribution and prevailing winds on a world map to infer which season produces larger landāocean temperature contrasts regionally.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements.
This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.
Login with Google to unlock study guidance.
Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.
Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.
Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.
Login with Google to unlock The Vault.