Differential heating of Earth explains sea breezes. When land heats up faster than the sea, what happens?

• A. The sea heats up and creates a sea breeze
• B. Air over land rises, creating a low pressure; air from sea moves toward land creating a sea breeze
• C. No wind forms
• D. High pressure over land dominates

Answer: (B)

Differential heating creates a pressure difference: when land heats up faster than the sea, the air over land becomes buoyant and rises, lowering surface pressure there. The cooler, higher-pressure air over the sea moves toward the land to replace the rising air, and as this air moves onshore, it produces a sea breeze. The other options don’t fit because the sea doesn’t heat up faster, the wind does form due to the pressure gradient, and high pressure over land doesn’t dominate in this daytime scenario.