- What is winter?
- winter characteristics
- winter in the northern hemisphere
- winter in the southern hemisphere
- importance of winter
We explain everything about winter, its importance and characteristics. Also, the differences between the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.
What is winter?
Winter is the coldest of the four seasons of the year, which takes place between autumn and spring. It is characterized by having cold and short days, with low solar radiation, along with longer and colder nights, especially in the regions farthest from the equator.
Like all seasons of the year, winter occurs due to the permanent tilt of the planetary axis (23.44° with respect to its orbital plane), thanks to which the Land moves its hemispheres away from and towards solar radiation along its orbit. Thus, winter takes place in the half of the planet that is farthest from the Sun, while summer occurs in the half closest to it.
Winter begins in solstice winter, that is, when the Sun's rays impact as little directly as possible, and culminates three months later with the equinox Spring, that is, when the Sun hits directly on the terrestrial equator. This means that the days in winter have fewer daylight hours than the days in summer, that is, that the nights are longer.
However, since ancient times, the human being has sought mystical and religious explanations for the arrival of winter. The ancient greeks, for example, related it to the myth of Persephone, daughter of the agricultural goddess Demeter, who was kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld, and made queen of the world of the dead.
His mother, heartbroken at his absence, neglected the land and let the harvests, so the father god Zeus intervened to reach an agreement: Persephone would spend six months with her husband in the underworld and six months with her mother in the world of the living. The first are the six winter months of cold and recollection (that is, autumn and winter), while the second are the six months of warmth, fertility, and abundance (that is, spring and summer) in which Demeter celebrates the return of his daughter.
In fact, in most cultures winter is associated with death, the desolation, the sadness and scarcity, since it is a season of withdrawal and difficulty, in which the harvest is not possible and living beings seek refuge. numerous animal species hibernate during this period of the year, that is, they lock themselves in their dens and assume a state of lethargy that allows them to subsist with a minimum expenditure of energy.
winter characteristics
In general, winter is characterized by the following:
- It is the coldest season of the year, in which the sun falls less directly on one of the terrestrial hemispheres. That makes the days shorter and the nights longer.
- It is located between autumn and spring. The exact start and end dates of winter vary depending on whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere, but are always between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox.
- The decrease in solar radiation reduces the growth capacity of plants, so there are neither sowings nor harvests, and in some regions the I usually freezes and hardens or becomes covered with snow. Life adapts to these conditions through different mechanisms, such as hibernation.
- In regions close to the tropics, which do not have the four marked seasons, the term “winter” is often used to refer to the rainy season, or not used at all.
winter in the northern hemisphere
In the northern hemisphere the drop in temperature is more sudden than in the southern hemisphere.
In the northern hemisphere, winter formally begins on December 21 and ends on March 21. This is known as the boreal winter, whose well-defined features involve the sudden drop in temperatures temperatures due to the action of polar air masses, which brings with it abundant rainy Y humidity atmospheric. In the regions northernmost parts of the hemisphere, snowfall and temperatures dropping well below 0°C are typical.
winter in the southern hemisphere
In the southern hemisphere, winter formally begins on June 21 and ends on September 21. This is known as the southern winter, characterized by a less pronounced drop in temperatures and a marked drop in humidity. The southernmost regions of the hemisphere, such as South American Patagonia, however, tend to see a greater drop in temperatures and the appearance of snow and frost.
importance of winter
Winter is part of a balanced circuit, which combines cold and heat to reach a climate relatively stable. The arrival of winter can be a source of pressure and discomfort in the human population and a challenge in general for life, but at the same time the regularity of its duration allows natural cycles to occur correctly, and brings a long pause. to numerous chemical and biochemical circuits. It is, in general, a demanding season, which prepares the life for the resurgence of spring.
On the other hand, winter has had an important impact on culture, as a source of metaphors and inspiration in Arts and the literature. In general, it is understood in a similar way to how we understand death: as a tragic but natural stage, which is an inevitable part of the circuit of life.