In recent years, the global climate has been changing, leading to instability in traditional seasonal patterns and even giving rise to new seasons. Frequent wildfires in certain regions and the influx of a large amount of ocean garbage due to changes in ocean currents have become the new norm. British scientists have pointed out that besides the four seasons, the Earth now also has “Smog Season” and “Garbage Season.”
A study conducted jointly by the London School of Economics, University of York, and other universities in the UK, analyzing decades of satellite imagery, meteorological data, and local reports, has officially proposed to add “Smog Season” and “Marine Garbage Season” in addition to the existing four seasons on Earth. This research was published in the journal “Progress in Environmental Geography” in early July.
Researchers pointed out that in recent years, “smog” and “marine garbage” have exhibited remarkable annual periodicity, fixed geographical distribution, and predictability in timing, perfectly fitting the definition of “seasons.” The study also warned that the emergence of these new seasons and the changes in the patterns of existing seasons are causing a “disruption” in the life cycles of flora and fauna, leading to chaos and changes in the economy, society, and culture.
Currently, entering the “Smog Season” has become a norm in China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, India, and North America. The heavy smoke covering these regions during this season deteriorates air quality, leading to widespread health issues.
This smog usually contains a large amount of toxic suspended particles like heavy metals, sulfides, nitrogen oxides (PM2.5). Inhaling these particles can affect the respiratory system, potentially causing symptoms like difficulty in breathing, coughing, and increasing the risk of developing asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer.
The smog in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Taiwan is mostly sourced from China, where smog originates from coal combustion, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning (including animals, human bodies, plants), and construction dust.
The smog season in Southeast Asia typically starts in June and lasts until September, lasting for several weeks and even extending to Singapore, affecting the health and livelihoods of millions of people. Part of the reason is related to large-scale burning (slash-and-burn) practices in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand for agriculture.
Furthermore, in India, the tradition of burning straw after the monsoon season (winter) and nationwide festival of lighting lamps (Diwali) exacerbate seasonal smog. Thailand faces air pollution from its own industrial and vehicle exhaust fumes, compounded with transboundary pollutants from neighboring countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, intensifying the country’s air pollution problems.
As the wildfire season in various parts of North America becomes longer, hotter, and more intense, the United States and Canada are also experiencing frequent occurrences of smog and wildfires. The wildfires in the western and southwestern parts of the United States, which used to be concentrated in the hottest and driest summers, have now evolved into an extended “Wildfire Smog Season” from spring to December, resulting in increasing casualties and property losses.
For instance, in early January 2025, a series of wildfires occurred in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and surrounding areas in California. Fueled by the unique “Santa Ana winds” in Southern California, the wildfires became uncontrollable. This event resulted in the unfortunate deaths of 29 people, over 18,000 buildings destroyed, and forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate.
Moreover, the unprecedented smoke from the Canadian wildfires in 2023 reached the central and eastern parts of the United States, temporarily turning the sky over New York City into a dark orange hue, described as an “apocalyptic scene.”
Apart from the emergence of the “Smog Season” globally, the “Marine Garbage Season” has also taken shape. Meanwhile, some traditional seasons are facing the dilemma of disappearance or change.
In recent years, Bali, a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, experiences a significant amount of plastic waste being pushed to the coastline between December and March each year due to strong seasonal winds, leading to a predictable “Marine Garbage Season.” This necessitates the local government to hire hundreds of seasonal workers and volunteers to clean up the large amount of marine debris on the beaches, with a total weight reaching up to 3,000 tons.
Similar situations have also been observed in the Philippines, Thailand, and even the eastern coast of the United States from Florida to North Carolina, where the flow from the Gulf of Mexico and other ocean currents affects the accumulation of garbage and floating debris on marine and beach areas during the summer.
Furthermore, some regions are facing the gradual disappearance or change of traditional seasons. To describe these changes, researchers use musical terms, classifying the shifts in the timing of seasons as “dissonance,” and the dramatic changes in the intensity of seasons as “rhythmic modulation.”
“Dissonance” includes variations in the temperature and duration of the original seasons. For example, an early spring, late summer, compressed autumn, and extended winter indicate a disruption in the natural cycles. Reproduction and hibernation cycles of flora and fauna in various parts of Europe now occur weeks earlier than before, with bizarre phenomena like peach blossoms in China during winter and willow trees sprouting.
Moreover, “rhythmic modulation” mentioned in the report refers to seasons that have not disappeared but have become more intense and unpredictable, leading to the amplification of disasters.
For instance, extreme heatwaves in Europe during the summer have become unbearable and harder to predict, while wildfire and hurricane seasons in North America and the Pacific have not only extended but also intensified. These changes disrupt people’s planning and result in severe property damage and unfortunate deaths.
Additionally, there is a “rhythmic modulation” in global precipitation patterns, characterized by prolonged dry seasons and shortened rainy seasons, but with more intense and concentrated rainfall during the rainy season. This leads to frequent occurrences of floods and droughts worldwide, not only reducing crop yields and raising food prices but also potentially causing food crises and increased disease outbreaks.