LSE and York Study Finds New Human‑Created Seasons

An interdisciplinary study by the London School of Economics and the University of York, published in Live Science, reports that the planet’s traditional four‑season cycle is being supplanted by two anthropogenic seasons. The researchers label these "fog season," observed annually in India and parts of Southeast Asia where crop‑residue burning occurs, and "trash season," seen in Bali from December to March as monsoon currents carry thousands of tonnes of plastic waste onto its shores. Similar waste‑driven patterns have been recorded in the United States, Thailand and the Philippines.

The study notes ecological and economic repercussions: seabird populations in northern England are experiencing shorter breeding periods, and winter tourism in the Alps suffers from reduced snowfall. To describe the irregular, human‑driven shifts, the authors use the medical term "arrhythmic seasons," highlighting early springs, prolonged summers and truncated winters across affected regions.