UPSC Prelims 2023 · Question 74 of 97
UPSC Prelims 2023 question on Continent Ocean Temperature Contrast
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2023
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicClimatology
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeAssertion
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?
Show answer
Answer: A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
Analysis
Therefore, both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I → Option (a).
Statement by statement
Statement I – CORRECT: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter. The heat capacity of the ocean is much greater than that of the atmosphere or the land. As a result, the ocean slowly warms in the summer, keeping air cool, and it slowly cools in winter, keeping the air warm.
Statement II – CORRECT and is the correct explanation of Statement I: The specific heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of the substance by 1 degree. The specific heat capacity of water is much greater than the land because the relative density of water is much lower than that of the land surface. It means more heat is required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1 degree than one gram of land. This explains why the temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer.