Earth has two new seasons, and it is not good news for our planet

Earth no longer has only four seasons, with human activity adding two new ones to the annual cycle, scientists have asserted. These are the 'haze season' and 'trash season', which have ruined the ecological system and threaten to wreak more havoc in the coming years. The strange new occurrences also mean that they are causing an adverse effect on public health, marine life, and basically the entire rhythm of our planet. The haze season has become a regular occurrence in Southeast Asia and some other parts, such as India. Every year, a thick smoke blankets the region, comprising chemicals that are hazardous to human health. The air quality has become a widespread concern in this part of the world. In India, every year in the winter season, smog shrouds the northern areas of the country, triggering health issues. The major cause of the haze season is fires that are intentionally set to clear agricultural land. Not only India, but massive burn-offs have also been reported in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Global warming has also increased the window of wildfire seasons in regions like California, where the wildfire season now extends from spring to December. Also Read: Scientists can't figure out why glaciers in world's most dangerous region are growing

Trash season on the beach in Southeast Asia

The trash season occurs from December to March in countries like Indonesia, especially Bali, the Philippines, and Thailand. This is because of a shift in monsoon winds, which cause ocean currents to carry huge volumes of plastic waste to the beaches. The mounds of garbage are massive and have become so common that locals now know exactly when they will start appearing. A similar trash season also occurs along the US East Coast, where the Gulf Stream pushes debris floating in the ocean towards Florida and the Carolinas. This occurrence is reported mostly around the summer season. The research was carried out by scientists from the London School of Economics and Political Science. They said that the haze season typically starts in Southeast Asia in June and runs through September. The toxic cloud of smoke travels to Singapore, Thailand and other countries beyond them. Also Read: Blistering heat dome smothers US: ‘Corn Sweat’ and climate change drive Midwest into triple-digit chaos?

Haze season in Asia and the US

"Widespread burning of tropical peatlands in regions of Malaysia and Indonesia is now considered an annual event in equatorial Southeast Asia, impacting the health and livelihoods of millions," the researchers said. Besides, Southeast Asia and India, hazy skies also blanket north northeast US, with it most recently being reported over the weekend in New York and New Jersey, where people were alerted to bad air quality and asked to stay indoors. Researchers warned that the haze will continue to become prevalent in the US as wildfire seasons across North America grow longer and hotter. Meanwhile, "marine pollution seasons are also surfacing, quite literally, as observed on the beaches of Bali, Indonesia," the study reads. In Bali, "floating plastic waste, either washed off the land by heavy rainfall or dumped into the oceans, is blown by strong monsoonal winds onto the southern beaches of the island province from December to March."

Disappearing seasons

Season placements have also changed, and some traditional seasons have also vanished, the researchers said. Regions like the Andes and the Rocky Mountains lack snow, which makes them host winter sports. Seabirds like kittiwakes are not returning to northeast England to breed at their usual times. Then there are "arrhythmic" changes, which mean that spring and summer seasons have shifted out of sync, with one coming early and the other stretching longer than its usual span.