Convective circulation patterns associated with sea breezes are caused by:

Convective circulation patterns associated with sea breezes occur due to the differential heating of land and water. During the day, land heats up faster than water. This causes the air over the land to warm, become less dense, and rise.

As the warm air rises over the land, cooler air from over the water—where the air is denser—moves inland to replace the rising warm air. This movement of cool, dense air from the sea is what creates the sea breeze.

While warm air does rise from the heated land, it is the cool, dense air that flows in from over the water that is critical in establishing the sea breeze circulation. Thus, the correct answer highlights the role of this cool air in creating the convective pattern associated with sea breezes.