Where does the air cool down more at night on the coast?
a. Directly over the land
b. Directly over neither the land or sea
c. Directly over the sea
d. Directly over both the land and sea
C. Directly over the sea
To determine where the air cools down more at night on the coast, we need to understand the concept of land and sea breezes. During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea due to differences in their heat-absorbing capacities. This causes the air on the land to become warmer and rise, creating a low-pressure area. At the same time, the cooler air over the sea forms a high-pressure area.
As the air rises over the land, it creates a vacuum effect that draws in the cooler air from the sea. This is known as a sea breeze. Sea breezes typically develop during the day and continue into the evening. The sea breeze brings cooler air from the sea, helping to lower the temperature over the land.
On the other hand, during the night, the land loses heat more rapidly than the sea. As a result, the roles of the land and sea switch. The land cools down faster, creating a high-pressure area, while the sea retains its warmth, forming a low-pressure area. The cool air over the land starts to sink and flows towards the sea, creating a land breeze. Land breezes generally occur at night and early morning.
Considering this, the air cools down more at night directly over the land on the coast. So, the answer to your question is option a. Directly over the land.