We explain everything about autumn, its characteristics and when it occurs in each hemisphere. Also, what are the seasons of the year.
What is autumn?
The autumn It is one of the four seasons of the year in the temperate zones of the world, located between summer and winter in the seasonal cycle. Being a transit season towards winter, it is characterized by the gradual decrease in temperatures and especially by the falling of the leaves of deciduous trees.
As with the rest of the seasons, autumn It takes place once a year for a fixed period of about three months established in each planetary hemisphere in an opposite and complementary manner: in the northern hemisphere it includes the months of September, October and November, while in the southern hemisphere it includes the months of March, April and May. Normally, autumn falls between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice each year.
The name “autumn” comes from Latin autumnuscomposed of the voices auctus (derived from the verb boomo“increase”) and Annus (“year”). The ancient Romans considered it the peak point of the year, that is, the period in which it reaches its fullness, since from there begins the decline of the cycle that leads to winter and the death or hibernation of many species.
See also: Deciduous forest
Features of autumn
Broadly speaking, autumn is characterized by:
- The weather begins to cool and become unstable. Temperatures move between summer heat and winter cold, and the days begin to get shorter.
- Tree leaves tend to yellow, dry and fall and the trunks are left bare in preparation for winter. In this way, certain plant species are protected from the loss of water caused by low temperatures.
- Animal species usually store food or body fat to survive the winter. Many species hibernate, that is, they enter a phase of torpor and low energy consumption. Others simply grow denser, warmer fur.
- Agricultural activity is dedicated to the harvest and collection of fruits which is often accompanied by festivals, rituals, dances and other traditional events that celebrate food production. Other traditions, in the northern hemisphere, have to do with saying goodbye to the year and worshiping the dead, such as Halloween, All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day.
- The meteorological characteristics of autumn may vary depending on the climatic zone. In the equatorial region, autumn is non-existent, while in temperate regions it has a more recognizable presence. In the polar regions there is also usually a very short autumn.
Autumn period and duration
Astronomically, autumn It falls between the autumn equinox (September 22 or 23 in the northern hemisphere and March 20 or 21 in the southern hemisphere) and the winter solstice (December 21 or 22 in the northern hemisphere and June 20 or 21 in the southern hemisphere).
During this period the sun goes from distributing its light equally between the two hemispheres (“equinox” comes from the Latin aequus noctis“equal nights”, since in that period the day and the night last the same), to illuminate mainly one of the two (“solstice” comes from the Latin sun status“static sun”).
Like the rest of the seasons, autumn lasts approximately three months.
Autumn symbols
Autumn is represented in different ways depending on the culture, but in general fallen leaves are the universal symbol of the season especially if they are yellow, brown or reddish. Umbrellas and rain gear are also common identifiers of the season, in which climate change usually brings abundant rain.
The connection of autumn with The harvest also produced its association with different fruits and vegetables such as pumpkin, squash, ears of wheat, acorns, nuts and mushrooms, among other edible products.
The seasons of the year
The seasons of the year are the four stages into which the year is divided in the temperate zones of the planet each lasting three months and associated with certain climatic and astronomical factors. The seasons are a product of the translational movement of the Earth and the angle of inclination of its axis with respect to the plane of the elliptical: Both things cause sunlight to impact in different ways on one hemisphere and the other.
The seasons are four:
- Spring. The time of the flowering of life, the gradual warming of the climate as the days become longer than the nights and the greening of nature. It takes place in the northern hemisphere in the months of March, April and May, and in the southern hemisphere in the months of September, October and November.
- Summer. The time of maximum heat and greatest sunlight, of long days and short nights, when vacation rest occurs in most cultures. It takes place in the northern hemisphere in the months of June, July and August, and in the southern hemisphere in the months of December, January and February.
- Autumn. The time of harvest and hoarding, when the days begin to get colder and shorter, and the weather becomes unstable and often rainy. The trees lose their leaves and life prepares for winter. It takes place in the northern hemisphere in the months of September, October and November, and in the southern hemisphere in the months of March, April and May.
- Winter. The time of maximum cold, short days and long nights, when frost, snowfall and other extreme weather phenomena usually occur. Associated with death, the end of a cycle and introspection. It takes place in the northern hemisphere in the months of December, January and February, and in the southern hemisphere in the months of June, July and August.
References
- “Autumn” on Wikipedia.
- “Etymology of Autumn” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “Autumn (season)” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.