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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.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"At these latitudes, summer TL is warmer in the NH by 1.7ā¦C but winter TL is colder by 2.9ā¦C. This implies the cooling eļ¬ect of land in winter outweighs its warming eļ¬ect in summer."
Why this source?
- 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.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"In winter, TO is signiļ¬cantly warmer than TL at all latitudes because land with small heat capacity cools more eļ¬ectively than the ocean. In contrast, in summer, TL is warmer than TO in the mid-to high latitudes because the land warms up more than the ocean."
Why this source?
- 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.
- 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.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > Seasonal Behaviour > p. 313
Strength: 5/5
āā¢ During winter, because of the high contrast between land and sea, this belt is broken into two distinct low centres ā one in the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands and the other between Iceland and Greenland. During summer, a lesser contrast results in a more developed and regular belt. The belt in the southern hemisphere is not well differentiated.ā
Why relevant
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.
How to extend
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.
Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 20: The Temperate Continental (Steppe) Climate > Climate > p. 190
Strength: 4/5
āTemperature. Their location in the heart of continents means that they have little maritime influence. Their climate is thus continental with extremes of temperature. Summers are very warm, over 19 Ā°C (66 Ā°F) in Winnipeg for July, as illustrated in Fig. 20.2(a), and 22 Ā°C (72 Ā°F) for January for Pretoria as shown in Fig. 20.2(b). Winters are very cold in the continental steppes of Eurasia because of the enormous distances from the nearest sea. In contrast, the steppe type of climate in the southern hemisphere is never severe. The winters are so mild that the mean temperature for any of the winter months is usually between 2^Ā°C (35 Ā°F) and 13 Ā°C (55 Ā°F).ā
Why relevant
Explains continental interiors have extremes of temperature ā very warm summers and very cold winters ā highlighting strong seasonal temperature swings over land.
How to extend
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.
Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > FACTORS INFLUENCTNG TEMPERATURE > p. 134
Strength: 4/5
āThis accounts for the warmer summers, colder winters and greater range of temperature of continental interiors as compared with maritime districts (Fig. 14.8). 4. Ocean currents and winds. Both ocean currents and winds affect temperature by transporting their Heat or coldness into adjacent regions (Fig. 14.8). Ocean currents like the Gulf Stream or the North Atlantic Drift warm the coastal districts of western Europe, keeping their ports ice-free. Ports located in the same latitude but washed by cold currents, such as the cold Labrador Current off north-east Canada, are frozen for several months. Cold currents also lower the summer temperature, particularly when they are carried landwards by onshore winds.ā
Why relevant
States continental interiors have greater range of temperature than maritime districts and that ocean currents moderate coastal temperatures (narrower ranges).
How to extend
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).
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 21: Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > Northern Hemisphere > p. 290
Strength: 3/5
āā¢ The isotherms are closer on the eastern margins as the temperature gradient is high because of the less moderating effect of the oceans (westerlies flow from west to east).ā¢ The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean. For example, the presence of warm Gulf Stream and North Atlantic drift make the Northern Atlantic warmer and the isotherms show a poleward shift indicating that the currents are able to carry high temperatures poleward.ā¢ The isotherms deviate equatorward over the continents (due to continentality) as the cold polar winds are able to penetrate southwards into the interiors.ā¢ Lowest temperatures are recorded over northern Siberia and Greenland (due to continentality). ā¢ During July, it is summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.ā
Why relevant
Describes isotherm behaviour: oceans cause poleward shift and continents allow cold polar winds to penetrate equatorward (continentality), showing stronger temperature gradients over continents.
How to extend
A student could map isotherm spacing by season (using basic maps) to see whether continentalāocean gradients tighten more in winter or summer.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 21: Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > Northern Hemisphere > p. 289
Strength: 3/5
āā¢ During January, it is winter in the northern hemisphere & summer in the southern hemisphere.ā¢ The western margins of continents are warmer than their eastern counterparts since the Westerlies are able to carry high temperatures (from the oceans) into the landmasses.ā
Why relevant
Notes seasonal inversion between hemispheres and that westerlies carry ocean heat inland affecting western margins, implying seasonal transport differences influence landāsea contrasts.
How to extend
Combine this with hemisphere land distribution and prevailing winds on a world map to infer which season produces larger landāocean temperature contrasts regionally.
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.
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