It's a hot summer day. A pilot is flying a small aircraft over Lake Erie when he or she reaches Ohio. Which is warmer, the lake surface or the Ohio land surface, and how will the aircraft react to the change in air pressure when crossing from water to land?

Answer with Explanation:

The Ohio land surface is warmer than the lake surface during a hot summer day. This is because the land surface heats faster than the lake surface. It is also common that water takes a longer time to heat, as well as to cool down. So, it becomes longer for the lake surface to get warmer than the land surface.

When it comes to aviation principles, it is very important for a pilot of an aircraft to know the weather conditions before flying.

The situation above causes a "differential heating" scenario. So, when the land heats up, it causes the hot air to rise, thereby causing air expansion and pressure change through conduction. The pressure in the land area is then decreased. On the contrary, the lake surface is cooler and this allows the cool air to move towards the land surface area. It then creates wind or breeze. So this situation affects the aircraft's take off and landing operations.  

It is said that high-pressure systems have more stable, descending air while low-pressure systems have more unstable air that causes bad weather.