What is the importance of the high specific heat of water for life on Earth?

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to
raise the temperature of a substance by 1 K. It is expressed in the units J/
(kg*K).

A high specific heat of a substance means that a
large amount of heat is required to raise the temperature of the
substance.

Water is the substance with the second highest
known specific heat capacity. at 4186 J/ (kg*K). To raise the temperature of 1 kg of
water by 1 Kelvin requires 4.186 KJ of heat. This is mainly due to the presence of a
large number of hydrogen bonds between molecules of
water.

Water covers around 70% of the Earth's surface and
its high specific heat plays a very important role as it is able to absorb a lot of heat
without a significant rise in the temperature. When temperatures decrease, the heat
which is stored is released, restraining a rapid drop in temperature. The combined
effect of these processes is a buffering of temperature on the
Earth.

A relatively constant temperature without spikes and
drops is essential to sustain life, as most organisms require temperatures to remain
within a narrow range for their survival.