Exp) Option d is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is incorrect: This statement is incorrect as the temperature contrast between the continents and oceans is more during the winter rather than summer.

Statement 2 is correct: This statement is also true. Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount. Water has a relatively high specific heat compared to land surfaces. This means that it takes a larger amount of heat energy to raise the temperature of water compared to an equal mass of land surface material by the same amount. The high specific heat of water is due to its molecular structure and the presence of hydrogen bonding, which allows water to absorb and store a significant amount of heat energy.

Explanation: The higher specific heat of water (Statement 2) is a valid explanation for the temperature contrast between continents and oceans during summer (Statement 1). When the sun’s energy is absorbed by the land surface, the land heats up quickly due to its lower specific heat. As a result, the temperature of the land surface rises rapidly during the summer season. In contrast, the ocean’s higher specific heat causes it to heat up more slowly. The ocean absorbs and stores a larger amount of heat energy from the sun, leading to a slower increase in temperature. This temperature contrast between land and ocean creates the conditions for temperature differences to be more pronounced during the summer months.

Source: https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/kegy213.pdf

Subject) Geography & Environment