Why should we care
Because water has a high specific heat capacity, large bodies of water have a moderating effect on climate. Areas closer to the ocean tend to experience smaller temperature swings. Open the Seasonal Temperature Learning Tool. to explore this trend.
This learning tool displays several cities on a map of Canada. As you place the mouse cursor over a city, you will be provided with some information about the city. The seasonal temperature variation for a city is the difference between the average temperatures during the city’s warmest and coldest months. For instance, the average temperature of Montreal in January is -10.2 °C, while the average temperature in July is 20.9 °C, which gives a seasonal temperature variation of 31.1 °C. Essentially, this value is an indication of the variability in Montreal’s temperature.
The learning tool also indicates the distance of each city from the nearest ocean. Explore the temperature variation and distance from an ocean for each city. Then, answer the following questions.
Which city is farthest from an ocean?
Winnipeg is farthest from an ocean.
Which city has the highest variation in temperature over the course of a year?
Winnipeg.
Which city has the least variation in temperature?
Victoria.
How far from the ocean is the city which has the least variation in temperature?
Victoria is a coastal city, 0 km from the ocean.