What causes the seasonal changes on Earth?

What causes the seasonal changes on Earth?

• A. Distance from the Sun determines the season.
• B. The Moon's phases determine the seasons.
• C. The tilt of Earth's axis relative to its orbit around the Sun changes the intensity and duration of sunlight.
• D. Weather patterns determine the seasons.

Answer: (C)

The seasons come from the tilt of Earth's axis as it orbits the Sun. Because the axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees, different parts of the planet receive sunlight at different angles and for different lengths of the day during the year. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, days are longer and sunlight is more direct, warming that hemisphere. Six months later, when it tilts away, days are shorter and sunlight is more oblique, cooling it. The Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite pattern, so the seasons are opposite there. The distance to the Sun changes a bit through the year, but that change isn’t enough to cause the seasons; the tilt and the resulting sunlight angle are the main driver. The Moon’s phases and typical weather patterns don’t determine the seasons. Solstices and equinoxes mark the times when the tilt and sunlight patterns shift most noticeably.

The seasons come from the tilt of Earth's axis as it orbits the Sun. Because the axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees, different parts of the planet receive sunlight at different angles and for different lengths of the day during the year. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, days are longer and sunlight is more direct, warming that hemisphere. Six months later, when it tilts away, days are shorter and sunlight is more oblique, cooling it. The Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite pattern, so the seasons are opposite there. The distance to the Sun changes a bit through the year, but that change isn’t enough to cause the seasons; the tilt and the resulting sunlight angle are the main driver. The Moon’s phases and typical weather patterns don’t determine the seasons. Solstices and equinoxes mark the times when the tilt and sunlight patterns shift most noticeably.