Which statement describes the basic energy flow in a sea breeze on a warm day?

Which statement describes the basic energy flow in a sea breeze on a warm day?

• A. Warmer air over land rises and cooler air from the sea moves toward the land at ground level.
• B. Warmer air over land sinks toward the surface, drawing air from the sea.
• C. The air over the sea is warmed by the land and rises toward the land.
• D. The air above the land becomes heavier and sinks toward the sea.

Answer: (A)

On a warm day, the sun heats the land more than the adjacent sea, making the air over the land buoyant and rise. To fill the space left by this rising air, cooler, denser air from the sea moves toward the land at ground level. This combination—air near the land rising and sea air moving in at the surface—drives the sea breeze. The statement that best describes this energy flow is that warmer air over land rises and cooler air from the sea moves toward the land at ground level. The other options mix up where air rises or sinks and which area is warming, so they don’t fit the observed pattern of a sea breeze.

On a warm day, the sun heats the land more than the adjacent sea, making the air over the land buoyant and rise. To fill the space left by this rising air, cooler, denser air from the sea moves toward the land at ground level. This combination—air near the land rising and sea air moving in at the surface—drives the sea breeze. The statement that best describes this energy flow is that warmer air over land rises and cooler air from the sea moves toward the land at ground level. The other options mix up where air rises or sinks and which area is warming, so they don’t fit the observed pattern of a sea breeze.