What causes seasons ?
The question “what causes seasons” is more than just a philosophical one for an amateur climber. We know that weather and climate can affect us in many ways and greatly affect the way that we live our lives. So it stands to reason that the seasons themselves could be controlled or affected. Let’s explore a bit.
One way that seasons are influenced is by the sun. For instance, the winter season can be shortened (or even reversed) by placing blocks of ice in the sun. This can be done on cloudy, overcast days when there are few if any visible clouds. The effect is dramatic, as cold air mass is forced into the warmer parts of the earth.
1. Seasons are formed because of revolution of the Earth around the Sun.
2. As Earth is tilted at an angle on its axis, one pole is near to the Sun and that hemisphere experiences summer.
3. The other pole that is far from the Sun, that hemisphere experiences winter.
Note: The Earth revolves around the Sun in an orbit. The Earth rotates on an imaginary line called its axis. The axis passes through two points, top one is called North Pole and bottom one is called South Pole.
Equator is an imaginary line that goes around the Earth and divides into equal parts. The upper half is called Northern Hemisphere and lower half is called Southern Hemisphere.
What causes seasons- SUN
The sun also affects the seasons on other planets and bodies in our solar system. For instance, the planet Venus receives nearly double the radiation coming from the sun as does Earth. Because it rotates very fast around the earth, it can cause clouds to form over landfalls and other areas of low atmospheric pressure. These clouds can reduce the amount of rainfall, cloudiness and clouds, which can impact the growing of plant and tree life.
Is there a connection between our seasons and the sun? If so, it would explain the appearance of “cold,” “icy” conditions in areas of high altitude and cold climates. It also explains the polar vortex. Polar vortex is the condition where air from the north goes down to the southern poles and vice versa. It is believed that the polar vortex is a result of cold air that is pulled down from higher altitudes and pushes up warm air from the lower latitudes.
What causes seasons- MOON
Our own seasons can also be influenced by the seasons in the universe. For example, the moon cycles can cause a temporary blocking or hindrance of the sun. If there are a lot of cloud cover during the winter months the sun’s light cannot reach deep into the clouds. As a result the sun may not be able to heat the Earth for a substantial amount of time.
Light rays
The light rays which are transmitted by the sun are known as x-rays. They have an energy level which depends on the atomic number of the atom. When the atom has a higher atomic number the energy increases, which creates a bright red glow. While the sun emits long-range radiation it is a weak form of radiation. Thus, it does not affect us directly unless we are near enough to the Sun to receive direct sunlight.
Conclusion
How can we use this knowledge to protect ourselves? Suppose we wanted to grow a garden in our back yard. We could place a Solar Sitter at the southern edge of our property, facing the Sun and blocking most of the direct sunlight. When the temperature inside the garden got warm, we could turn on the heater to bring it to the appropriate temperature. This would prevent most of the damage from seasonal changes, which could cause our vegetables and fruits to get damaged or destroyed.
Now suppose that we did not have any Solar Sitter keep the temperature cool. Suppose we moved our furniture to another part of our property. Suppose that next season there was a temperature change of up to ten degrees outside. Then we would need to increase the interior temperature of our garden to prevent the damage from the sudden temperature change. This means that we would have to run the heater and the air conditioner all through the year to maintain the necessary temperature inside.
So now we know that the Sun does affect our climate and it certainly makes a difference to our climate and weather. Does this mean that the Sun decides our seasons too? Well, we have seen that the Sun does effect the weather. But do not be confused with the solar flares and eruptions which occur every now and then. These naturally affect the weather.
The best way to answer the question “what causes seasons” is to understand that the Earth wobbles and the Sun shine in a different place every year. Have you ever noticed that on some days the Sun is a little brighter than on other days? This means that the day is short or longer and the Sun’s rays are spread out over a greater area. That means that it affects the weather. The same thing happens at the poles too, where there is a period where the Sun is the strongest and the longest lasting but the wind blows strongest in the summer.
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