Have you ever wondered why the weather changes so drastically throughout the year? Why do we have summer days filled with sunshine and winter days filled with snow? 

4 Reasons Why Seasons Change Throughout the Year


The answer lies in the cycle of seasons. In this blog post, we will explore four reasons why the seasons change throughout the year. From the tilt of the earth to the changing distance from the sun, these factors combine to create the four unique and distinct seasons that we experience each year.


1) The Earth's Tilt

One of the main reasons why seasons change throughout the year is due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. The Earth's axis is an imaginary line that runs through the Earth's center, and it is tilted at an angle of 23.5° away from the plane of its orbit around the sun. This tilt is what causes changes in the amount of sunlight that reaches different parts of the planet over the course of a year, resulting in the phenomenon known as the seasons.

During the summer months, the northern hemisphere of the Earth tilts toward the sun, causing days to be longer and the sun's rays to be more direct. This means that more sunlight reaches this part of the planet and the temperatures are warmer. Conversely, during the winter months, the northern hemisphere tilts away from the sun, causing days to be shorter and the sun's rays to be less direct. This results in less sunlight reaching this part of the planet and lower temperatures. The same cycle happens in reverse in the southern hemisphere.


2) The Earth's Revolution

The Earth's revolution is the main reason why the seasons change throughout the year. The Earth rotates on its axis, and this rotation takes 365 days to complete, which is one year. During this time, different parts of the Earth are exposed to different amounts of sunlight, depending on how close they are to the sun. The two points in the Earth's orbit that are closest and furthest from the sun are known as the perihelion and aphelion, respectively. In January, when the Earth is at its perihelion, it is approximately 3 million miles closer to the sun than it is in July during aphelion. This causes the Northern Hemisphere to be exposed to more direct sunlight in the summer months and less direct sunlight in the winter months. This difference in sunlight exposure is what causes the changes in temperature and ultimately leads to the changing of the seasons.


3) The Earth's Distance from the Sun

One of the primary reasons why we experience different seasons is due to the changing distance of the Earth from the Sun. The Earth's orbit around the Sun is not perfectly circular, and it varies in its distance from the Sun. The Earth is closest to the Sun in January, at a distance of 91.4 million miles. In July, the Earth is farthest away from the Sun, at a distance of 94.5 million miles. This variation in distance affects the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth's surface, resulting in changes in temperature, which are most easily observed as seasonal change. 

When the Earth is closest to the Sun, more solar energy reaches the Earth’s surface, and temperatures increase. This is experienced as summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. As the Earth moves farther away from the Sun, less solar energy reaches the Earth’s surface and temperatures decrease. This is experienced as winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.


4) The Earth's Atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere plays a major role in the changing of seasons. When the Earth is tilted toward the sun, more of the sun's energy reaches the surface in the northern hemisphere during summer, and less energy reaches the surface during winter when the Earth is tilted away from the sun. In addition to this, changes in atmospheric circulation cause shifts in where heat and moisture is distributed on the planet. This, in turn, affects temperatures around the world and creates seasonal variation.

The atmosphere also absorbs and releases infrared radiation, which helps to create and sustain an Earth temperature that’s livable for us. In addition to helping to regulate Earth’s temperature, the atmosphere affects clouds and precipitation, helping to give us different types of weather depending on the season. 

Overall, the atmosphere plays a major role in determining the seasons we experience here on Earth, through its ability to absorb and release energy and its affect on temperatures, moisture, and weather patterns.