Which statement about sea breeze timing is true?

• A. Usually occurs at night
• B. Is unaffected by land temperature
• C. Usually occurs during the day
• D. Is a wind from land to sea

Answer: (C)

Sea breezes happen during the day because the land heats up faster than the adjacent sea. This daytime heating causes air over the land to rise, creating a shallow low-pressure area along the coast. Cooler, denser air from over the sea moves toward the land to replace the rising air, creating a breeze that blows from the sea toward the land. That daytime onshore flow is why the timing of a sea breeze is described as usually occurring during the day. At night, the situation reverses: the land cools faster than the sea, and the breeze tends to switch to from land to sea (a land breeze). So the daytime timing statement is the correct one, while the other options describe night winds or wind direction rather than when the sea breeze occurs.