The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/are the reason/reasons? 1. Thermal difference between land and water 2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans 3. Presence of strong winds in the interior 4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

The correct answer is (a) 1 only. The primary reason for the higher annual temperature range in continental interiors compared to coastal areas is the differential heating of land and water. Thermal Difference between Land and Water: Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it takes a lot of energy to heat up or cool down. Land, conversely, has a low specific heat capacity and heats up and cools down quickly. This leads to larger temperature fluctuations on land. Why other options are incorrect: Variation in altitude: While altitude does affect temperature, it's not the primary driver of the difference between continental interiors and coasts. Altitude variations are not consistently higher in continents than over oceans. Presence of strong winds: Strong winds can moderate temperatures, but they don't *cause* the large temperature range. They are a result of pressure gradients, which are themselves influenced by temperature differences. Heavy rains: Rainfall patterns are complex and don't consistently show heavier rains in continental interiors compared to coasts. Rainfall influences temperature, but isn't the root cause of the difference in annual range. Therefore, only the thermal difference between land and water accurately explains the observed phenomenon.