Question

Palm Coast, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas, have the same latitude.



Which generalization can be made about the climate of these two areas?

A)San Antonio, Texas, experiences more dramatic seasonal changes because land heats up and cools down more slowly than water.
B)San Antonio, Texas, experiences milder seasonal changes because land heats up and cools down more slowly than water.
C)Palm Coast, Florida, experiences more dramatic seasonal changes because water heats up and cools down more slowly than land.
D)Palm Coast, Florida, experiences milder seasonal changes because water heats up and cools down more slowly than land.

Answer 1

D

Both places get similar solar energy (same latitude), but Palm Coast is coastal. Water has a higher specific heat and changes temperature more slowly than land, so the nearby ocean moderates Palm Coast's seasonal temperature swings, making them milder than inland San Antonio's.