A season is a period of the twelvemonth that is distinguished by special climate weather condition. The four seasons—leap, summertime, fall, and winter—follow i another regularly. Each has its own light, temperature, and weather patterns that echo yearly.

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter generally begins on December 21 or 22. This is the winter solstice, the twenty-four hour period of the year with the shortest period of daylight. Summer begins on June xx or 21, the summer solstice, which has the nigh daylight of whatsoever solar day in the year. Spring and fall, or fall, begin on equinoxes, days that take equal amounts of daylight and darkness. The vernal, or spring, equinox falls on March xx or 21, and the autumnal equinox is on September 22 or 23.

The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are the reverse of those in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that in Argentina and Australia, wintertime begins in June. The winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is June 20 or 21, while the summer solstice, the longest day of the twelvemonth, is Dec 21 or 22.

Seasons occur because Earth is tilted on its axis relative to the orbital plane, the invisible, apartment disc where most objects in the solar organisation orbit the sun. Earth's axis is an invisible line that runs through its center, from pole to pole. Earth rotates around its centrality.

In June, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, the sun'due south rays hit it for a greater part of the mean solar day than in winter. This means it gets more hours of daylight. In Dec, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted abroad from the sun, with fewer hours of daylight.

Seasons have an enormous influence on vegetation and found growth. Winter typically has cold conditions, lilliputian daylight, and limited plant growth. In spring, plants sprout, tree leaves unfurl, and flowers flower. Summertime is the warmest time of the year and has the about daylight, then plants abound rapidly. In autumn, temperatures drop, and many trees lose their leaves.

The iv-season yr is typical but in the mid-latitudes. The mid-latitudes are places that are neither near the poles nor almost the Equator. The farther n you go, the bigger the differences in the seasons. Helsinki, Finland, sees eighteen.5 hours of daylight in the middle of June. In mid-December, however, it is light for less than 6 hours. Athens, Greece, in southern Europe, has a smaller variation. Information technology has fourteen.5 hours of daylight in June and ix.5 hours in December.

Places near the Equator experience niggling seasonal variation. They accept about the same amount of daylight and darkness throughout the year. These places remain warm yr-circular. Well-nigh the Equator, regions typically have alternating rainy and dry seasons.

Polar regions experience seasonal variation, although they are generally colder than other places on Earth. Near the poles, the amount of daylight changes dramatically between summer and winter. In Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the U.South., it stays lite all twenty-four hours long between mid-May and early August. The city is in total darkness betwixt mid-Nov and January.

season

Seasons are determined by the Globe'due south exposure to the sun.

Seasons in Alaska
Sometimes, seasons are adamant past both natural and man-made activity. In the U.Southward. state of Alaska, people like to say there are three seasons: "winter, withal winter, and construction season."

Ritu
A ritu is a season in the traditional Hindu calendar, used in parts of India. In that location are half dozen ritu: vasanta (spring); grishma (summertime); varsha (rainy or monsoon); sharat (fall); hemant (pre-winter); and shishira (wintertime).

'Tis the Season
The word 'season' can be used to signify a time of year when an action or procedure is immune to happen. Seasons can exist natural, like hurricane flavor, which is the time of year when hurricanes are most likely to develop. Seasons tin can as well be artificially created, like hunting season, which is the fourth dimension of yr a community allows people to chase certain wild animals.

Meteorological Seasons
Meteorologists, scientists who study the weather, divide each of the seasons into three whole months. Spring begins March ane, summer June 1, autumn September 1, and winter December i.

alternating

Verb

to switch back and forth.

autumnal equinox

Noun

autumn day, usually around September 22, when day and night are of generally equal length.

Substantive

an invisible line around which an object spins.

flower

Verb

to blossom or thrive.

climate

Noun

all conditions weather condition for a given location over a flow of fourth dimension.

distinguish

Verb

to differentiate or recognize every bit dissimilar.

dry season

Noun

time of year with footling precipitation.

Noun

imaginary line around the Globe, another planet, or star running eastward-west, 0 degrees latitude.

blossom

Noun

bloom or reproductive organs of a plant.

grishma

Noun

summertime flavour in the Hindu agenda.

hemanta

Noun

pre-wintertime flavour in the Hindu agenda. Also called hemant.

Hindu

Noun

religion of the Indian subcontinent with many unlike sub-types, most based effectually the idea of "daily morality."

Noun

line where the Earth and the sky seem to run into.

hunting season

Noun

fourth dimension of the twelvemonth when hunting certain wild animals is allowed past law.

hurricane season

Noun

time of yr when the hazard of hurricanes is greatest. Atlantic hurricane flavour runs from June 1 to November 30.

meteorologist

Noun

person who studies patterns and changes in Earth'south atmosphere.

midlatitudes

Noun

geographic regions between the Equator and the poles.

Noun

seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing winds of a region. Monsoon usually refers to the winds of the Indian Sea and South Asia, which often bring heavy rains.

Northern Hemisphere

Noun

half of the Earth between the North Pole and the Equator.

pole

Noun

extreme north or southward bespeak of the Earth's axis.

rainy season

Noun

time of year when most of the rain in a region falls.

Noun

period of the year distinguished by special climatic conditions.

seasonal variation

Noun

differences in temperature, climate, and weather between seasons of the year.

sharat

Substantive

autumn or fall season in the Hindu calendar.

shishira

Noun

winter season in the Hindu agenda.

Southern Hemisphere

Noun

half of the World betwixt the South Pole and the Equator.

sprout

Verb

to begin to grow.

summertime

Noun

time of year when function of the Earth receives the most daylight: The months of June, July, and August in the Northern Hemisphere and the months of Dec, January, and February in the Southern Hemisphere.

summer solstice

Substantive

day of the twelvemonth with the well-nigh hours of sunlight, June xx or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and Dec 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.

Noun

star at the center of our solar system.

Noun

degree of hotness or coldness measured by a thermometer with a numerical scale.

tilt

Verb

to lean or slant.

unfurl

Verb

to uncurl or straighten out.

varsha

Noun

rainy or monsoon season in the Hindu calendar.

vasanta

Noun

spring season in the Hindu calendar.

vernal equinox

Noun

mean solar day, ordinarily around March 21, when day and night are of generally equal length. Also called the spring equinox.

Substantive

state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness.

winter

Noun

fourth dimension of year when part of the Globe receives the least daylight: December, January, and February in the Northern Hemisphere and June, July, and Baronial in the Southern Hemisphere.

winter solstice

Noun

(December 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, June 22 in the Southern Hemisphere) longest night of the year and the kickoff of winter.

  • Credits

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    Writers

    Kim Rutledge
    Tara Ramroop
    Diane Boudreau
    Melissa McDaniel
    Santani Teng
    Erin Sprout
    Hilary Costa
    Hilary Hall
    Jeff Chase

    Illustrators

    Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
    Tim Gunther

    Editors

    Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing
    Kara Westward

    Educator Reviewer

    Nancy Wynne

    Producer

    Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

    Sources

    Dunn, Margery G. (Editor). (1989, 1993). "Exploring Your Earth: The Run a risk of Geography." Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Order.

    Last Updated

    Jan. 21, 2011

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