Explanation:

The correct answer is option 'D': Prevailing winds from the land.

Prevailing Winds from the Land:
- The prevailing winds refer to the dominant wind direction in a particular region. In the case of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, prevailing winds blow from the land towards the oceans.
- These winds are known as continental winds or land breeze. They are influenced by the temperature differences between land and water.
- During the day, the land heats up faster than the water, causing the air above the land to rise. As a result, cooler air from the ocean rushes in to replace the rising warm air, creating a sea breeze that blows from the ocean towards the land.
- However, during the night, the land cools down faster than the water. The cooler air above the land sinks and flows towards the ocean, creating a land breeze that blows from the land towards the ocean.

Effect on Surface Temperature:
- The prevailing winds blowing from the land towards the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans have a significant impact on the surface temperature.
- When the land breeze blows towards the ocean, it carries the cooler air from the land and lowers the surface temperature of the ocean.
- Conversely, when the sea breeze blows towards the land, it carries the warmer air from the ocean and increases the surface temperature of the land.
- This temperature exchange between the land and ocean leads to a smaller annual range of surface temperature in the southern oceans compared to the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans.

Reasoning:
- The annual range of surface temperature refers to the difference between the highest and lowest temperatures experienced in a year.
- Due to the prevailing winds from the land, the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans experience larger temperature fluctuations compared to the southern oceans.
- The land breeze brings cooler air from the land, causing a decrease in the surface temperature of the oceans.
- The sea breeze, on the other hand, brings warmer air from the ocean, resulting in an increase in the surface temperature of the land.
- These temperature differences between land and ocean are more pronounced in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans due to the prevailing winds from the land.
- In contrast, the southern oceans are not influenced by significant continental winds, leading to a smaller annual range of surface temperature.