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.

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?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

The correct answer is (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Explanation:

Statement-I: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during the summer than in the winter. This statement is correct. During summer, land heats up more quickly than the ocean, causing a large temperature difference. Conversely, in the winter, land cools down more quickly than the ocean, but the effect is typically less pronounced than the contrast seen in summer due to the overall lower temperatures.
Statement-II: The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface. This statement is also correct. Specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius. Water has a higher specific heat than land, meaning it requires more energy to raise its temperature, so it heats up and cools down more slowly than land.
The relationship between these two statements is that the higher specific heat of water (Statement-II) is what causes the greater temperature contrast between continents and oceans in the summer (Statement-I). So, Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.