If humankind does not make efforts to curb climate change, then by 2100 the summer in the Northern Hemisphere will be longer and will stretch for six months. Despite the perceived benefits for countries located in these latitudes, including Russia, temperature shifts will be disastrous for agriculture, health and the environment. This is the conclusion reached by Chinese scientists who published the results of their scientific work in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The study is summarized in a press release at Phys.org.
Experts analyzed historical climate records spanning the period from 1952 to 2011 to determine the length of the four seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. They identified the beginning of summer when temperatures rise above the 75th percentile, that is, they begin to enter the quarter of the highest temperatures during the year. Likewise, winter begins when temperatures drop to 25 percent of the coldest temperatures of the year. Scientists have also used climate change models to track how the seasons will shift in the future.
It turned out that, on average, over half a century, the duration of summer increased from 78 to 95 days, and the duration of winter decreased by three days. Spring and autumn fell from 124 to 115 and from 87 to 82 days, respectively. Spring and summer now start a little earlier, and autumn and winter later. Seasonal cycles were most affected in the Mediterranean and the Tibetan Highlands.
If the trend continues, then by 2100 winter will last less than two months, and spring and autumn will also be significantly reduced. This can lead to disruption of the vegetation of plants, which will lead to a decrease in the food supply for animals and imbalance in ecosystems. It can also be detrimental to agriculture, as sprouts can die due to late spring frosts. Long summers will expose many people to allergens and increase the habitat of pathogenic insects.
