Scientists say climate change has created new seasons
Four new seasons could emerge on Earth (photo: Freepik)
The traditional four-season system - winter, spring, summer, and autumn - seems unshakable to us. However, due to anthropogenic climate change, the planet’s familiar seasonal rhythms are shifting so rapidly that we can no longer rely on traditional definitions, Progress in Environmental Geography reports.
The researchers propose a conceptual shift in how we perceive the seasons and outline four new types of seasons emerging as a result of global warming.
The four new types of seasons
Emergent seasons
These are entirely new seasonal patterns that did not previously exist in a given region. For example, the prolonged "haze season" in Southeast Asia, caused by mass peatland burning, leads to severe air pollution. What was once an irregular phenomenon has now become an annual seasonal hazard.
Extinct seasons
These are traditional seasons that have effectively disappeared or become unrecognizable. For instance, in many regions, winters have become so short and warm that they have lost their familiar characteristics.
Arrhythmic seasons
These are disruptions in the expected timing and duration of seasonal cycles. For example, summer becomes significantly longer and hotter, while spring arrives earlier.
Syncopated seasons
These are irregular shifts in the intensity or character of the seasons. Examples include prolonged "hurricane seasons" in the Atlantic or "wildfire seasons" in California, which can now last almost year-round.
Not just a change of calendar
Researchers emphasize that this is not about eliminating spring or summer. The tilt of the Earth and its orbit around the Sun remain unchanged.
The idea is to rethink the seasons on a social and cultural level, as our daily experience increasingly diverges from traditional notions.
Recognizing these new seasonal rhythms helps societies adapt to change. For example, awareness of the "haze season" in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore has led authorities to implement air filtration systems and targeted public health campaigns.
Climate change is forcing us to see the world differently. A flexible perception of the seasons may become a key tool for effectively responding to the challenges humanity faces in an era where nature no longer plays by the old rules.
