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?

Answer: D. Statement-I is incorrect; Statement-II is correct. Statement-I is WRONG. The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is GREATER IN WINTER than in summer in mid and high latitudes. In winter, continental interiors become extremely cold (due to rapid heat loss from land) while oceans retain heat from previous summers. In summer, continents heat up rapidly but oceans warm only slightly. The differential is sharpest in winter — this is the basis for monsoon reversal. Look at Siberia (minus 50 C) vs adjacent Pacific (0 C) in January. Statement-II is CORRECT. The specific heat of water (about 4.18 J/g·K) is much HIGHER than that of land surface (typically 0.8-1.2 J/g·K for soil and rock). This is the FUNDAMENTAL REASON why oceans warm and cool slowly compared to land — and why continent-ocean contrast is larger in winter (Statement-I refers to summer, which is wrong). So Statement-II provides the correct PHYSICS but Statement-I has the wrong season. Source: NCERT Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography Ch 9 (Heat Budget).