Which factor is primarily responsible for the similarity in climate between coastal cities at different latitudes?

• A. Ocean currents
• B. Latitude alone
• C. Desertification
• D. Volcanic activity

Answer: (A)

Ocean currents move heat around the globe, and that transfer sets the temperature and moisture conditions right at coastal lands. By warming or cooling the sea surface, currents influence the air that moves over the coast, moderating temperatures and affecting rainfall. When distant coastal cities lie along the path of the same warm or cold current, their sea temperatures and the resulting coastal climate become more alike than you’d expect from latitude alone. In contrast, simply being at different latitudes would usually lead to different climates, and desertification or volcanic activity don’t drive this cross-latitude coastal similarity.