The Earth has two new seasons.

The emergence of these two new seasons, which do not follow natural patterns but are directly caused by humans, has a serious impact on public health and the global ecosystem.

The Earth's climate system is changing to the point that scientists have just officially added two new "seasons" to the global climate calendar: the smog season and the garbage season - Photo: AI

According to new research published by a team of scientists from the London School of Economics and Political Science, "smog season" and "garbage season" have become recurring annual phenomena, qualifying them as new climate seasons in the human era, also known as the Anthropocene.

Haze season: Extends from Southeast Asia to New York

Each year, from June to September, a thick layer of smog blankets many areas of Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia. The main cause is the burning of forests and peatlands to clear land for oil palm and other agricultural crops.

Smoke from these burning fires spreads to Singapore, Thailand, and even India, where the phenomenon is exacerbated in winter by farmers burning crop residue after the harvest and during the Diwali festival.

In the US, the wildfire season in California, which used to occur only in the summer, now begins in the spring and lasts until December. Smog is also becoming a "specialty" on the East Coast of the US, as wildfires in Canada create plumes of smoke that spread down to New York and New Jersey. In 2023, the skies over New York turned orange due to wildfire smoke.

Scientists warn that a "smog season" is forming in North America and could become an annual occurrence in the near future.

Trash season: When the ocean pushes trash ashore.

In Bali (Indonesia), from December to March each year, ocean currents and monsoon winds bring thousands of tons of plastic waste ashore on the southern coast. This phenomenon repeats so regularly that locals can predict it accurately month by month.

The Bali authorities have to hire hundreds of workers and mobilize volunteers to collect garbage each season. During the most recent rainy season, more than 3,000 tons of garbage were collected from the beaches of Bali.

A similar phenomenon is occurring in the Philippines, Thailand, and even the eastern coast of the United States, where ocean currents like the Gulf Stream carry debris ashore in Florida and the Carolinas during the summer.

The study suggests that "garbage season" could become a new defining season in coastal areas, as heavy rainfall washes trash from land to sea, where it is then pushed back ashore by wind and ocean currents.

Traditional seasons are disappearing.

Not only are new seasons emerging, but some traditional seasons are also "disappearing." In high-altitude regions like the Andes and Rocky Mountains, winters are losing their snow, leading to a significant decline in the skiing season.

In North East England, seabirds such as the kittiwake are no longer returning to nest in the usual season, disrupting the breeding cycle that fishing communities have relied on for generations.

The phenomenon of spring arriving earlier and summer lasting longer has led scientists to define these as "arrhythmic seasons." In Europe, the breeding and hibernation cycles of many animal species have begun weeks earlier than before.

"Smog season" and "garbage season" have become recurring annual phenomena, qualifying them as new climate seasons in the human era, also known as the Anthropocene epoch - Photo: AI

In addition to new seasons and disappearing seasons, another form of change is "syncopated seasons," which are seasons that don't disappear but become more extreme.

Summers in Europe are a prime example. Since the 2003 heatwave that killed thousands in France, summers across Europe have become increasingly intense, severe, and dangerous.

In North America and the Pacific, wildfire and hurricane seasons are also becoming longer and more intense, complicating disaster preparedness and response efforts.

To understand these changes, the research team analyzed satellite data, weather information, and local reports over several decades. They proposed new terms to describe the phenomenon: extinct seasons, arrhythmic seasons, and syncopated seasons.

According to researchers, the emergence of new seasons due to human impact is clear evidence of the influence of the Anthropocene epoch, when human activity became the dominant factor in global ecosystems and climate.

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MINH HAI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trai-dat-co-them-hai-mua-moi-20250804170609149.htm