How many seasons are there in the South Pole?

Very interesting question. I am inclined to say that it depends how you chose to define the word “season”. .

. Using the convention: . Winter = period between winter solstice and spring equinox; Spring = period between spring equinox and summer solstice; Summer = period between summer solstice and autumn equinox; Autumn = period between autumn equinox and winter solstice; . there are no seasons in that there is a period of 6 months between sunrise and sunset with six months of daylight and six months of darkness, forming what might reasonably be defined as a single “local day” of length equal to one year, ….. . ….. and that single “local day” includes both solstices and both equinoxes. One might equally say that all four seasons are coincident and you are simultaneously experiencing all four seasons - each having a length of one whole year and one whole “local day” .

. But this is all playing with words really, the concept of a season is essentially to do with identifying periods of agricultural activities in order to optimize planting and harvesting. But there are no such activities at the south pole worth classing as “agricultural” so it is probably best to say the concept of season is “void” or meaningless at the south pole. .

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– Best wishes - Majikthise. .

There’s four seasons everywhere :)

Not everywhere, dear. There are only two seasons and tropical countries.

*in not and

Yes indeed, this is quite fascinating as a concept. It is meaningless to state that there are four seasons “everywhere” if it is not possible to identify what season it actually is at a specified time and place. Here in Manchester UK (on 20 February) most people claim that it is still winter, whereas if we ask some of our many Australian and New Zealand posters what season it is at the moment, they will probably insist that it is not winter, it is Summer.

The difference of opinion arises because I am in the Northern hemisphere whereas they are in the Southern hemisphere, and we each have our (varied definitions) of our local seasons.

But how about answering the question what season is it Right now on the infinite number of points that define the equator? Is it Winter of is it Summer, or can you not tell the difference and if you cannot even identify whether it is winter or summer at those points, how can it have any useful meaning to say that the equator has four seasons, one of which is called summer, whilst another distinctly different season is called winter.

Furthermore, even here in the UK many people say that the Spring equinox (20 March this year) marks the middle of Spring (rather than the start of spring) and that spring started one and a half months earlier than that on (about 3 February) - so even around here we have no overall agreement whether it is actually Winter or Spring at the moment. ….. …. Yeah great! - there are four seasons round here, but we just dont’ know which one it is at the moment.

Lol, never been to the equator then? Definitely not 4 seasons there… Maybe two? Hot and wet…

hhhmmm… some have three, hot, hotter and hottest LMAO….

It’s 4°C /39°F here in Manchester UK at the moment http://funadvice.com/r/bgvt9j8l50f . WooHoo ! Spring’s arrived !

Directly at the south pole there’s only one season, winter. The warmest temperature ever recorded was about 7° F, and the lowest was -117° F. Think about that next time you complain how long your winter seems to drag on for.