A season is a period of the year that is distinguished by special climate conditions. The four seasons—spring,summer, fall, and winter—follow one another regularly. Each has its own light, temperature, and weatherpatterns that repeat yearly. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter generally begins on December 21 or 22. This is the winter solstice, the day of the year with the shortest period of daylight. Summer begins on June 20 or 21, the summer solstice, which has the most daylight of any day in the year. Spring and fall, or autumn, begin on equinoxes, days that have equal amounts of daylight and darkness. The vernal, or spring, equinox falls on March 20 or 21, and the autumnal equinox is on September 22 or 23. The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are the opposite of those in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that in Argentina and Australia, winter begins in June. The winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is June 20 or 21, while the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is December 21 or 22. Seasons occur because Earth is tilted on its axis relative to the orbital plane, the invisible, flat disc where most objects in the solar system orbit the sun. Earth’s axis is an invisible line that runs through its center, from pole to pole. Earth rotates around its axis. In June, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, the sun’s rays hit it for a greater part of the day than in winter. This means it gets more hours of daylight. In December, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, with fewer hours of daylight. Seasons have an enormous influence on vegetation and plant growth. Winter typically has cold weather, little daylight, and limited plant growth. In spring, plants sprout, tree leaves unfurl, and flowers blossom. Summer is the warmest time of the year and has the most daylight, so plants grow quickly. In autumn, temperatures drop, and many trees lose their leaves. The four-season year is typical only in the mid-latitudes. The mid-latitudes are places that are neither near the poles nor near the Equator. The farther north you go, the bigger the differences in the seasons. Helsinki, Finland, sees 18.5 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. It has 14.5 hours of daylight in June and 9.5 hours in December. Places near the Equator experience little seasonal variation. They have about the same amount of daylight and darkness throughout the year. These places remain warm year-round. Near 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.S., it stays light all day long between mid-May and early August. The city is in total darkness between mid-November and January. You live the seasons. You are part of the seasons. Next you need to force your mind to go beyond Utah seasons and out across our vast Earth. It isn't all the same in other cities, and some places don't have seasons. Study these concepts in your mind and you will be fascinated by the fact that our seasons all depend on the TILT of the Earth and the ANGLE OF THE SUNS rays because of this tilt.
23 Comments
parker
10/18/2016 01:56:49 pm
fresh avacodo
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Zane Miner
10/18/2016 09:28:36 pm
One I did not know that we had a test and two I really like the reflection of the leaves.
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Paige
10/18/2016 03:33:28 pm
WOW those trees are very colorful and pretty and we have a TEST !?!?
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Avery
10/18/2016 03:36:18 pm
that is a very good review thank you!
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Tyler
10/18/2016 03:58:41 pm
It is finally all coming together!
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Katelyn ashton
10/18/2016 04:21:53 pm
Pretty leaves and WE HAVE A TEST AAAHHH!!!!!!!😶
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Emmalee
10/18/2016 05:42:23 pm
Pretty, pretty, pretty picture!
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Annika
10/18/2016 07:48:50 pm
wow that's cool
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zane
10/18/2016 09:34:59 pm
i wish it was all ways summer ;( :D :0 XD
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Alivia
10/18/2016 07:50:23 pm
that pic. with the lake and the trees was really pretty
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Jane
10/18/2016 07:53:36 pm
WE HAVE A TEST !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! I DID NOT KNOW THAT! : )
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10/18/2016 08:28:37 pm
First of all the colors of the leaves in that picture were amazing!!!!! AND WE HAVE A TEST!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
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Zaya
10/18/2016 08:53:56 pm
I love the picture with the trees! The reflection is so cool!
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jenna
10/18/2016 08:56:52 pm
wow..........
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kylie
10/18/2016 08:58:30 pm
yep every one we have a test
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kailee
10/18/2016 08:58:49 pm
wait a test!!
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JR
10/18/2016 09:12:07 pm
Those are awesome!
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Zane Miner
10/18/2016 09:31:27 pm
One those leaves are awesome! And two WE HAVE A TEST! ;(
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Abril
10/19/2016 07:04:50 am
Wow we have a test thanks for the review
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Sebastian
10/19/2016 07:14:18 am
Thx for the review.
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haley bement
10/19/2016 07:21:19 am
wow that picture is really pretty.
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braxton
10/19/2016 07:23:46 am
I wonder how many trees turn that color every year
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10/19/2016 07:29:35 am
yeah...
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |