Which option best describes the sea breeze cycle?

• A. Daytime wind from sea to land
• B. Nighttime wind from land to sea
• C. Wind from land to sea during day
• D. No wind at all

Answer: (D)

The sea breeze cycle is driven by the land-sea temperature difference. During the day, the land heats up faster, causing air over land to rise and creating a relative low pressure near the coast. Cooler air from the sea moves in to replace it, producing a breeze from sea to land. At night, the land cools quickly while the sea remains relatively warmer, causing the flow to reverse and a breeze from land to sea can develop at the coast. So the cycle has two parts: daytime sea-to-land flow and nighttime land-to-sea flow.

In practical terms for paddling, the daytime pattern (sea to land) is the familiar sea breeze you feel along the coast, while the nighttime pattern (land to sea) is the opposite. A statement claiming there is no wind at all doesn’t fit the coastal wind behavior you’d expect from this diurnal cycle.