Which of the following is a characteristic of maritime air masses?

Maritime air masses are defined by their origin over oceans or large water bodies, which significantly influences their characteristics. One of the key features of maritime air masses is their high humidity. This is due to the evaporation of water into the atmosphere over the ocean, which saturates the air with moisture. As the maritime air mass moves over land, it tends to retain this moisture content, resulting in higher humidity levels compared to other types of air masses, such as continental air masses that originate over land and generally have lower humidity.

The remaining options do not accurately describe maritime air masses. Typically, these air masses can vary in temperature, but their defining characteristic is the moisture content. Therefore, the high humidity associated with maritime air masses is critical for understanding weather patterns, as this moisture can lead to precipitation when the air mass interacts with other weather systems or geographical features.