What is the cause of offshore breeze?

The phenomenon of an offshore breeze is primarily driven by the temperature differences between the land and the ocean. When the land cools faster than the ocean, particularly during the evening or night, a pressure difference is created. As the land loses heat, it cools down rapidly, leading to a decrease in air temperature and pressure over the land compared to the relatively warmer ocean. This results in air flowing from the higher pressure area over the land to the lower pressure area over the ocean, creating an offshore breeze.

Understanding the role of temperature in this process clarifies why this choice is the most accurate. It emphasizes the dynamic interactions between land and sea temperature, which directly influence wind patterns. The other options relate to different atmospheric phenomena and conditions that do not specifically address the immediate cause of an offshore breeze as clearly as the cooling of the land does.