Earth without Seasons

Planet Earth’s annual sequence of seasons is a defining characteristic. Weather and climate manifestations are intricately related to conditions generated by our seasons. As we travel north or south from equatorial regions, seasonal variety becomes an all-important factor in describing earth’s weather and climate. Mid-latitudes between 30º and 60º have well defined periods of gradual spring warming or progressive autumn cooling. Sandwiched between these intervals are more or less consistent warm summer or cold winter conditions for several months. Much of our world’s population is embedded in mid-latitude seasonal variety. 

High latitude regions and equatorial regions have less seasonal variety. In the Arctic and Antarctic seasonal variety exists, but cold frozen conditions predominate all year. Weather at low latitudes is generally warm continually. In contrast, seasonal changes in mid-latitudes are more spectacular and fascinating. Temperatures alternate above and below freezing. Mid-latitude weather idiomatically packs a lot of wallop related to the presence of seasons.

What would Earth without seasons be like? We know that the current 23.4º  tilt of the earth’s axis with respect to the plane of our planet’s orbit is the cause of seasons. If the axis were not tilted at all there would be no seasons. A greater tilt would result in more extreme seasons; with a smaller tilt seasonal effects would be less extreme. Planet Earth without seasons would be unable to support the seven billion population of Earth. Conclusions of scientists are based on observations of currently operating weather and climate systems.

Without seasons every latitude would experience only one set of weather conditions all year long. Those who currently abide permanently in warm climates such as southern Florida may relish their lifestyle with little need for an overcoat and plentiful opportunities for outdoor bathing all year long. The benefits of mid-latitude seasons with alternating seasonal periods separating cold and warm, however, should not be overlooked by residents of year-round warm regions such as southern Florida. Even low latitude locations have a modicum of seasonal variation in their weather conditions on our planet. This variation diminishes as we approach the equator. For example, the average daily high temperature fluctuates by over 50 degrees F from warmest to coldest months at typical mid-latitudes. We cite our personal experience living in northwest Illinois. In southern Florida the typical average daily high temperature varies only about 20 degrees F from warmest to coldest months. Statisticians have supplied weather “junkies” with an almost unlimited set of detailed information on variable conditions at multiple locations to describe effects of the healthy grip of Earth’s seasons. We resolve to counsel our southern Florida relatives to appreciate the cold winter regions to their north. We invite them to pay a mid-summer visit to mid-latitude agricultural states such as Illinois and Iowa to observe the extensive fields of lush cornfields, prolific soybean plots, and numerous other crops thriving in alternating seasons of summer heat and winter cold.

Research into the outcome of loss of seasonal variations in Earth’s climate, especially in mid-latitude regions, yields interesting results. Mainly, food production would be significantly reduced. Many of the world’s essential food crops such as wheat, corn, potatoes, oats, and barley, grow far better where cool or cold winters persist. Humanity learned to innovate agriculturally at the close of the Ice Age. This occurred roughly 10,000 BC, the beginning of the Neolithic period—“Antiquity’s Agricultural Revolution.” Man learned to domesticate plants, working within warm/cold seasonal cycles which intensified as the Ice Age waned. It was an exciting time in the history of humanity.

In a world without seasons, ecological anthropologist Don Atwood claims, “Humans would probably never have advanced past a stage of living in small, scattered settlements, scrounging for survival and often dying of horrific insect-born diseases.” Remove Earth’s seasons and Atwood asserts humanity world suffer in a sorry state. It is certain that our Earth’s population would not have burgeoned from one billion to over seven billion in the past 200 years.

The catastrophic effects of removing Earth’s seasons is hypothetical. We will never be able to test the hypothesis. Earth’s axis tilt is not about to change significantly. Astronomer/climatologist Milutin Milankovitch (1879-1958) has proposed that three earth motions change and affect climate over long periods of time. Axial tilt is one feature which changes slightly—from 22.1º to 24.5º—over a period of 41,000 years. The other two features are eccentricity (elongation of orbit) and axial precession (a “wobble” of the axis similar to the wobble of a toy top). Both of the latter conditions vary over long time periods. These factors affect long term climatic conditions, but axis tilt has the greatest effect on seasons year to year. Currently the tilt of our planet’s axis is very slowly decreasing within the above range of change without significantly affecting conditions on earth.

We briefly address a few other environmental conditions inherent in a hypothetical “Earth without seasons.” The habits of animals and plants would change. There would likely be altered reproductive habits, no hibernation, changed adaptive responses, and minimal migration of animals or insects. Living things would change in their ability to cope with a non-changing environment. Tree rings would not exist. There would be no deciduous plants. Mid-latitude weather would differ considerably. Changing seasons produce mixing of moving air masses on a seasonal basis. Seasonal hurricanes, thunderstorms, and snowstorms may not form. Instead of blessings, these changes may result in less precipitation, perhaps even droughts. Some scientists propose that thick ice caps would form at the north and south poles, lowering sea level around the world. These scenarios are not all testable but inspire thoughtful speculation.

Why do we have axial tilt and why do we have seasons? A sound theory is that the Earth’s Moon was formed by a giant impactor, a protoplanet which collided with Earth early in the history of the Solar System. The impact of the smaller protoplanet imparted a tilt to Earth’s axis. Debris from the monstrous collision later became the Moon. Currently our companion Moon stabilizes the axial tilt of the Earth. Without the Moon, chaotic forces would disrupt Earth’s consistent axial tilt to the detriment of Earth’s population.

The timeless God of Creation created all things In the Beginning. Hundreds of physical constants and laws of nature, present from the initial creation, have fashioned our universe according to His divine plan for this created sphere. The presence of Earth’s seasons is the result of a transformational miracle. We delay detailed discussion of this type of miracle for another post. Scripture records dozens of environmental events and conditions on Earth such as rain, snow, thunder, wind, cold, and heat. These events are intricately connected with the presence of seasons which characterize our planet. Hundreds of beneficial yet awesome seasonal events have the unmistakeable handiwork of God’s intelligent agency.   

   

  

                

Meteorological Seasons

 Most calendars proclaim March 20 as the first day of spring. This date marks the beginning of astronomical spring. Even though the March 20 calendar date generates excitement, most residents cannot explain the significance of that date from an astronomical perspective. Even fewer residents could explain why on rare occasions the first day of spring might fall on either March 19 or March 21. The last March 21 “first day of spring” occurred in 2007 and will not occur again on that day until 2101. The 2020 first day of spring was the first March 19 occurrence since 1896 across the entire spectrum of US time zones. Varying time zones and calendar modifications affect precise dates when the first day of spring arrives. Trivia enthusiasts thrive on such esoteric information. People uninterested in trivia may exult in the emotional significance of the “first day of spring.”

Easier to understand than astronomical spring is meteorological spring. This season is always considered to be March, April, and May. It never varies.  (September, October, and November in the Southern Hemisphere.) In short, this term relates to weather, specifically, familiar springtime weather. As this post is written, the local population is reveling in somewhat warmer weather conditions. Neighbors may greet us with “It’s warmer today,” or “It’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow.” Of course, there could be a hard cold snap or an incident of frozen precipitation. If the latter occurs it will probably not remain frozen very long, but there were a few notable exceptions to this rule. The Storm of the Century of March 1993 in the eastern half of the US was a profound exception. Other storms more typical of winter your blogger personally experienced in March while living in New Jersey were March 18-19 1956, March 2-5 1960, and even a rare April 6-7 1982 mid-winter-type blizzard.

Meteorological summer, autumn, and winter follow meteorological spring. In divine wisdom, our Creator has established seasons to benefit humanity in diverse ways. A world population approaching 8 billion would not produce enough food without the existence of seasons. Readers may wish to study this topic more completely. For those challenged by more detailed research, we suggest:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/earth-without-seasons.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/11/what-sort-of-miracle.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2019/03/meteorolgical-or-astronomical-spring.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/sustained-by-seasons.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2015/08/adapting-to-seasons.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2019/03/seasonal-trivia.html

When God ordained seasons, He performed transformative miracles for the benefit of humanity. Transformative miracles are defined as ancient environmental modifications superintended by the Creator which shaped and prepared our home planet to benefit Earth’s future teeming billions of residents. Among such miracles is the appropriate tilt of the Earth’s axis as it revolves around the Sun. Without this 23 degree tilt Earth’s life-sustaining seasons would not be possible. Knowledgable Earth residents are able to study the parameters of Earth’s seasons and give glory to the God of Creation. The author of Genesis 8:22 refers to conditions in all four seasons with devotional exuberance: “For as long as  Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop.” (The Message translation)

When meteorological spring approaches, our wild creatures and plants adjust to the changing conditions in interesting ways. Flocking behavior, particularly in birds, is no longer necessary to insure effective group food gathering or group safety. As spring advances they become more intent on finding mates and scouting sites for nest building. The sounds of late winter bird songs during brightening late winter days suggest future reproductive activity. Late in winter, we have heard calls of owls who hatch their babies in February. Squirrels provide entertainment by chasing each other through tree branches on mating forays as winter recedes. Green plants also share in the joys of renewal:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2008/05/spring-renewal.html

Significant human joy is produced by observing God’s provision of work/rest cycles. These cycles are illustrated by the divine gift of planetary seasons which benefit humanity created In His Image. The natural world praises the genius of the Creator: “Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them, let all the trees of the forest sing for joy” (Psalm 96:12).

   

   

        

   

What Sort of Miracle?

Miracle is a term with many meanings in different contexts. When the term is used in connection with radical or unexplained improvement in one’s medical condition—miracle is frequently applied. Seldom do people comment on what type of miracle has occurred. Most people tacitly understand and approve characterizations of such events as miraculous. For example, recently a local newspaper reported on the startling recovery of a young boy from over a half dozen separate serious injuries suffered when he dashed across the road without first looking for oncoming traffic. We concur with this use of the term miracle with the caveat that the term has multidimensional meanings.

When God fashioned the Earth with its present functionality we could apply many instances in which miracle describes a series of highly remarkable events. We launch our discussion by referring to our previous post on the cause of Earth’s distinct seasons. The tilt of our planet’s axis, currently 23.4º from a right angle relationship to Earth’s orbital plane, is theorized to result from the collision of Earth with another planetary body shortly after our satellite became a solid body. The hypothetical collision caused an orbital deflection which resulted in our planet’s seasonal characteristics even to this day. Most Solar System planets have seasons related to the period of their orbits, (length of time for one revolution) but the presence of life on any of them is not evident.

The presence of warm and cold seasons on our planet is the cause for speculation: Are Earth’s seasons a miracle? or are seasons merely the result of one of many natural “occurrences?” Earth’s seasons have given rise to a multitude of unique planetary characteristics. For starters, scientists acknowledge that the existence of 7 1/2 billion Earth residents on an Earth without seasons could not be sustained. Contrasting seasons have supported and continue to support a diverse and expanding human population! Is the presence of seasons and numerous other life-enabling features of our planet a miracle? If so, we ask, what sort of miracle?

In common public perception, a miracle is sometimes described as highly remarkable, wonderful, unlikely, or coincidental to a high degree. Recovery from an illness described medically as “terminal” causes us to speculate on the possibility of a miracle. The birth of a baby, given the occurrence of a multitude of wondrous circumstances immediately following conception followed by incredible prenatal events in the womb, inspires many to exult in the manifestation of a miracle as described in Psalm 139:13-16. We frequently meditate on the wondrous Old Testament Book of Job, especially chapters 36-41 where Job was questioned whether he appreciated the many works of Almighty God as manifest in the natural world. Many events described in these Book of Job chapters could be described as miracles.

Hugh Ross, in More Than a Theory, (Baker Books, 2009) describes three different kinds of miracles. Generally, his scheme for outlining miracles matches distinctions among miracles made by other authors. These miracles are Transcendent miracles, Transformational miracles, and Sustaining miracles. Ross’s categories range from events truly above and beyond ordinary physical laws contrasted with ordinary physical events events but considered unusual or noteworthy. We contemplate additional posts to help define miracles of different types.   

In the writings of Scripture and in the world of nature we experience many different examples of events which could be described as miracles. Secular scientists attribute natural explanations for every phenomenon they investigate. They resist using the term miracle in any context in their fields of investigation. In contrast, for Christians who believe in the supernatural God of Creation, many phenomena may be considered miraculous. Our blog has discussed many topics dealing with God’s actions which may be described as miraculous. The subject of miracles has many dimensions in the related topics of science and faith.          

       

Reprise of Autumn

 The familiar query “What is your favorite season?” rings out once more over our land. Perhaps the question is more often asked during autumn than in any other season. Autumn is a personal favorite season for this blogger, but spring wins the day for 36% of the populace. Autumn was second with 27% when the question was last posed by Gallup in 2005. Scripture has many references to all four seasons. The wonders of seasonal variation described in Scripture provide many lessons — devotional, descriptive, and explanatory.

The Eastern Iowa countryside where we recently took residence is currently alive with features of the autumn harvest. The corn and soybeans have dried down and will be harvested before long. It is easy to exult in a passage such as Acts 14:17: “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (NIV)

Alert, perceptive residents notice many fascinating outcomes of the approach of autumn. When the baseball playoffs and World Series arrive shadows are cast on the playing field in unfamiliar configurations. The angle of the sun at noon from the horizon is always highest as the sun traces a great circle on the ecliptic each day. This is termed solar noon. It diminishes from June 22 to December 22—from about 72 degrees in June to 49 degrees in September to 26 degrees in December. (These figures relate to conditions at about 41 degrees N. latitude, a latitude where I resided in my last six residences.) These facts could provoke curiosity from our young baseball fans. It is visually difficult for players to pass from sunlight to shadow.

Diminished sun angles link with shortened day lengths, lengthened nighttime, later sunrises, earlier sunsets, and gradually falling temperatures during autumn harvest season. Linked below is a past blog post where we discussed these phenomena in more detail:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2016/11/autumns-temporary-decline.html

An early post mentioned other fascinating autumn manifestations including autumn color, animal behavior, a reminder of natural cycles, and thanksgiving for God’s providence:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2008/10/autumn-and-early-rains.html

Another post reinforces our thankfulness and wonder at the average 55 degree temperature drop during the year at 41 degree N. lat., our allure at the “land of the midnight sun,” and our sense of wonder at the Creator’s plan who supplied for us all things to enjoy.

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/sustained-by-seasons.html

We reminded readers of the Earth’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees, a key to understanding the beneficial conditions on this planet. We quoted the well known verse in Genesis 8:22: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (NIV):

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2015/08/adapting-to-seasons.html

Finally, what if the earth had no seasons at all? Life on Planet Earth would be barely recognizable. The presence of seasons is vital in sustaining our enormous population of 8 billion souls. We suggest readers thank the Heavenly Father for designing Planet Earth to possess seasons. Our lives depend on this fact.

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/earth-without-seasons.html

 

 

Meteorolgical or Astronomical Spring?

“Happy Spring!” Our household thermometer recorded an overnight low temperature of -5ºF on March 3. The median temperature on that day was thirty degrees below normal. “Take heart,” we tell our friends. “In several days we will enjoy two weeks of normal temperatures, according to the long range forecast.”  We do not cite these figures to become a source for weather statistics in the upper Midwest. Rather, our desire is to improve general weather literacy. We are now in meteorological spring, but we may experience surprising vagaries of the season no matter which season we claim to inhabit!

As a prelude to our discussion of spring and other seasons we recommend you review the link from our post of 10/27/17:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/earth-without-seasons.html

Just when we thought we understood pertinent facts about the spring season, we discover scientists have defined two spring seasons: meteorological spring and astronomical spring. Calendar-wise, there is some overlap between the two. Meteorological spring runs from March 1 to May 31. Those three months are characterized by generally rising, pleasant temperatures on average. By calling our three Gregorian calendar months—March, April, and May—meteorological (weather-related) spring, we may be certain which time frames we compare from one year to another. There is no guarantee that temperatures will always rise from one day to the next, or that we will never receive a bitter atypical cold spell or warm spell. We deal with average conditions as meteorological spring progresses.

Our above link to “Earth Without Seasons” stressed the effect of Earth’s seasons on Earth’s living things, including the occurrence of unpredictable weather. Beyond those there are many other more astronomical effects of Earth’s axial tilt, Earth’s elliptical orbit, and the 41,000 year wobble in Earth’s axis of rotation. Below we discuss why the astronomical seasons commence approximately March 21 (spring), June 21 (summer), September 21 (autumn), and December 21 (winter). As an example, why does the first day of astronomical spring occur at precisely 5:58 PM EST on March 20 in 2019? Meteorological spring (the “getting warmer” season) correlates with dates on the man-made 16th century Gregorian calendar.

Astronomical spring is related to precise points, times, speeds, motions, and paths in space as Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun. These are all mathematically determined. Specific times of occurrence of events correlate with dates on the Gregorian calendar. The first day of meteorological spring is about three weeks prior to the vernal (spring) equinox—the first day of astronomical spring.

What is the vernal equinox? If you live in the northern hemisphere you have noticed that on December 21 the sun does not rise very far above Earth’s horizon at noon. By March 21 its noon position has gradually risen about halfway to its maximum, and by June 21 it has risen to its highest point. The Sun follows a path through the sky called the ecliptic. It does not really move, but it appears to move because we are moving around the Sun viewing it from constantly changing positions. The Sun, traveling along the ecliptic, traces a complete 360º path through the sky in one year. On about March 21 each year the apparent path of the sun crosses an imaginary circle called the celestial equator, made by extending the Earth’s equator infinitely out into celestial space. It intersects the imaginary celestial sphere at an infinite distance. On this date the Sun is exactly halfway to its highest point in the sky (or on the celestial sphere). The result is day and night are of equal length on that day. Before or after that date, day length is shorter or longer than night. This occasion is called the spring equinox (equinox = day and night of equal length). The term also refers to a date on the calendar or a point in space.           

On June 21 when the sun reaches its highest northern point on the ecliptic, we enjoy longest days and shortest nights. We have reached the date of the summer solstice (solstice = sun stands ‘still’).  After this date the Sun gradually begins to descend toward the celestial equator. This marks the end of astronomical spring, and the beginning of astronomical summer. Likewise, on about September 21 astronomical summer ends; astronomical autumn begins. We then observe the autumnal equinox. On about December 21, astronomical autumn ends; astronomical winter begins: we have reached the winter solstice. Our planet’s well-known axis tilt is responsible.

The meteorological grouping of seasons in three month blocks conveniently highlights environmental effects of our weather cycles. The astronomical season groupings of three month blocks of time beginning, respectively, on about the 21st of March, June, September, and December are, instead, based entirely upon celestial points, times, speeds, motions, and paths in space.   

Our universe is coherent and orderly. Meteorological and astronomical seasons both amply illustrate coherence and cyclical orderliness. Both sciences, meteorology and astronomy, manifest the glory of the Creator and His loving physical provisions for our temporal existence.

             

Sustained by Seasons

The seasons of Planet Earth sustain humanity in several ways, including supplying emotional needs. Seasonal changes are enjoyable to many Earth residents, especially those who choose to live in regions where changes are more pronounced. We revel in delightful seasonal variety. 

Seasons are welcomed by some and scorned by others. For example, springtime is generally a time of enjoyment and optimism as is autumn. Complaints about oppressive summer heat or bitter winter cold tend to balance the ledger for some mid-latitude residents. Of course, every season possesses unique appeal. Although autumn is a time of astronomical decline and cessation of plant growth, most people enjoy the refreshment of slowly declining temperatures. In select geographic regions autumn is graced by splashes of color around the countryside. Fall hues enhance decorations for parties and social gatherings. Harvest of pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, vegetables, fruits, and grains communicate a reality statement: Summer is over; harvest has arrived. It is a time for joy and thanksgiving.

During autumn, the weather shifts slowly from summer heat to winter cold. In extreme northwest Illinois, the average daily high temperature declines from early July (82ºF) to early February (27ºF), a drop of 55º. Average daily low temperature declines a similar amount from the warmest to coldest months. Sunrise times slowly become earlier from December to June while sunset times slowly become later during that six month time frame. From June to December the situation is reversed. Sunrise times become later; sunset times become earlier. In December and June sunrise and sunset times change hardly at all for a few weeks. Hours of daylight slowly increase from winter to summer. From summer to winter hours of daylight slowly decrease. In northwest Illinois summer has 15 hours of daylight and 9 hours of darkness. In winter the situation reverses—we receive 9 hours of daylight and 15 hours of darkness. Sun rays strike Earth at a much lower angle in winter, spreading themselves out over a much greater land area. Therefore, we receive less heat. In summer, of course, we receive more heat because sun rays strike Earth more directly. In addition, northwest Illinois receives six more hours of intense sun rays.

We cited extreme northwest Illinois by way of illustration. At higher latitudes to the north seasonal effects are even more extreme. In mid-summer we recall walking on the streets of Fairbanks AK at 10:30 PM in daylight. At lower latitudes to our south the effects are less extreme. Near the equator the amount of daytime heat and length of daylight vs darkness is not very significant from one time of year to another compared with latitudes farther north or south. By coincidence, the five US locations where this blog author has lived were each located at approximately 41ºN latitude. Seasonal changes described in the above paragraph were embedded in personal experiences throughout my life. When our family visited Fairbanks AK in the summer or Aruba in the winter differences in the effects of seasons depending on latitude became apparent.

Thriving, healthy animal and plant populations and their unique adaptive behaviors depend in large part on Earth’s phenomenon of seasonal changes. If Earth were not tilted on its axis there would be no seasons.  Our planet’s life forms, including human life, and their current population levels would be impossible to sustain. Environmental scientists have explained in detail why this would be true. In future posts we will deal more extensively with the beneficial consequences of our changing seasons.

We close with one well known example of the reward of seasonal changes. We are created with emotional and psychological needs and the means to satisfy them. Our Creator supplies the sensory and intellectual ability to identify wonders of nature and its design features. Many readers may remember our teachers and science texts touting the presence of chlorophyll, a green chemical pigment to aid plants in using the energy of sunlight to synthesize their own food from water and carbon dioxide. When the autumn season descends on our countryside, the reduced intensity of light is not sufficient for plants to continue to produce or retain green chlorophyll. As a result, many leaves lose their green color and display other colors formerly visually masked by the plentiful presence of chlorophyll. Eventually, the lifeless plant leaves drop away, giving up food synthesizing until new leaves are produced the following spring. Many motorists flock to regions where autumn leaf colors are most vivid.

Changing seasons supply multiple opportunities to discover wonder-producing processes of our environment. Together, awareness and intellectual understanding of these processes nourish our sense of wonder. God has given us “all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). 

  

Adapting to Seasons

“Snow birds” describes a population of US northern climate residents who  take refuge from cold winters by migrating to the south, perhaps Florida or Arizona, during the harshest winter months. In the world of wildlife some animals, notably birds and a few insects, also journey to a warmer wintering spot in the southern US, Central America, or even South America. The “snow bird” phenomenon would not occur without the existence of Earth’s axis tilt. The slanted axis results in fascinating meteorological and astronomical variety. The case could be made that Earth would be an arguably less interesting planet without the tilt of its axis.

It is well known that Earth’s axis of rotation is slanted 23.5º from an orientation perpendicular to the plane of Earth’s orbit. This is known as axial tilt or obliquity. The axial tilt has been very constant—close to 23.5º, varying only slightly on a cycle of 41,000 years. The plane of Earth’s orbit, from which axial tilt is measured, has been virtually the same for millions of years. Earth’s motion of revolution locates the plane of  our planet’s orbit. All Solar System planets orbit in a plane similar to Earth. Their collective orbits appear like a flattened disc surrounding  the sun.

In the days when the Old Testament was written, the scientific details mentioned above were not known. Astronomical observations were based on visual glory and predictability and the ability of heavenly bodies to inspire worship of the Creator. One of the most famous passages comes from Genesis 8:22 in a promise made to Noah. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (NIV). This verse, while lacking astronomical specifics, accurately describes the effects of rotation and revolution, outcomes of axial tilt, the wondrous phenomena of plant growth and harvest cycles, and the glorious variety of environmental conditions provided for the thriving of man and all created living things.

Earth’s moon is an unusual satellite in a planetary system. It is unusually large among the Soar System planets. Scientists have determined that the moon acts to stabilize the axial tilt of Earth and provides not only the presence of seasons on our planet, but also their enduring consistency over extended geological time frames. Three of four points in the Genesis 8:22 reference are related to seasons directly or indirectly. Without Earth’s axis tilt there would be no seasons at all.

In our imagination we could speculate on the effect of reducing Earth’s axial tilt to 0º. There would be adjustments in agriculture. Some cold weather crops would not thrive. Grain crops which thrive in temperate climates during warm seasons would no longer thrive. Primarily, Earth’s food supply for seven billion souls would be devastated. Natalie Wolchover writing on the LiveScience website echoes the statements of many analysts: “Without Earth’s tilt, humanity would be in a sorry state.” Genesis 8:22 implies the importance of “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter” for the benefit of humanity. We invite readers to research detail on their own concerning the importance of seasons.

Here is a 2011 post from our blog archives:

https://www.jashow.org/articles/science/seasonal-rebirth/

  

      

Earth/Moon System

 Searching through past posts we encounter the term system many times. Examples are body systems such as visual and auditory systems. We have also dealt with wonders of the Solar System. The above-mentioned systems are composed of many sub-systems. Any system or sub-system is defined as “a group of interrelated, interacting components forming a complex entity.” Our physical universe is composed of many complex systems. When we make detailed studies of such systems we reinforce the concept that our universe has many hallmarks of being designed by a divine, intelligent Agent. We observe those hallmarks each day of our lives.

Scientists often describe the characteristics of Earth without reminding us that Earth is intrinsically part of a system—the Earth/Moon System. Our universe contains trillions of lifeless, ordinary planets. No other Solar System planet possesses such a sizable moon in relation to its own size. Planet Earth is special owing to the presence of our large satellite. The presence of our Moon is only one factor making Earth a habitable planet. Most astronomers agree that without the Moon, Earth would not be a habitable planet. Hugh Ross, founder of Reasons to Believe (RTB), produced a volume entitled The Genesis Question in 2001. He discusses (p. 31) how the Moon affects Earth in life-sustaining ways, including crustal iron abundance, tectonics, rotation rate, and vital axis tilt, among other processes. Ross states, “To those who express the desire to see a miracle, we can assure them they are looking at one whenever they gaze up at the Moon.”

There’s general agreement that Planet Earth without its Moon would experience changes in Earth’s climate and other conditions which preclude human life as we know it. Most especially, Earth residents would experience NO seasons. A previous post deals with the effects on humanity of an Earth without seasons. Our message in the post linked below is that Earth without seasons may result in undesirable health outcomes for humanity. In contrast, research has revealed that there are many positive outcomes when people experience seasonal changes. We link a past post:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/earth-without-seasons.html

The Bible lists examples of the benefits of seasonal change. Earth’s Moon is responsible for these seasonal changes. The popular scientific hypothesis of a giant impactor, protoplanet Theia, ultimately produced the Moon when it struck Planet Earth eons ago. The Theia impact created Earth’s 23.5 degree axis tilt which is responsible for Earth’s current seasons. Our current Moon stabilizes Earth’s axis tilt. Life-sustaining conditions on Earth result from the season-producing axis tilt of our home planet. 

Most astrophysicists subscribe to the hypothesis of a giant impactor—an example of a divine transformational miracle. God has performed many transformational miracles when He created our life-sustaining Earth/Moon System. Hugh Ross has published his ideas concerning different types of miracles, including the transformational miracle of the giant impactor which produced Earth’s Moon:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/11/our-miracle-immersed-planet.html

Geophysicists have produced lengthy treatises on many Moon related phenomena within our Earth/Moon system. Ocean tides are caused by the force of gravitation between Earth and Moon. Earth’s oceans are gravitationally drawn toward the Moon. The solid Earth is drawn away from Earth’s ocean water on the opposite side of the Earth. Each of the bodies revolves around a barycenter—the center of mass of two or more objects. Over many eons the Moon has been responsible for reducing the speed of rotation of the Earth because of the friction of tidal “bulges” as the planet rotates through them. A slower rotating Earth produces ideal daytime illumination appropriate for agricultural productivity and human comfort. We observe the Creator’s power in the things we perceive within our Earth/Moon System:

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made…(Romans 1:20 ESV)

  

Autumn Weather and Wildlife Wonders

Autumn provides notable changes as calendar weeks advance. The season is transitional at mid-latitudes. In the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological autumn begins on September 1 and ends on November 30. (In the Southern Hemisphere September 1 marks the start of meteorological spring.) In contrast to autumn, Northern Hemisphere summer temperatures are not transitional—it is more or less warm throughout the season. Winters are more or less cold all season.

Let us consider autumn from the perspective of your blogger’s mid-latitude location—40º north latitude. Over half of the entire human population occurs between 30º and 60º north latitude. When meteorological autumn begins on September 1, we are in store for surprising environmental changes. Leaves change color, falling in great quantities into the forest and onto our lawns. We take note of how the current year’s leaf colors compare with previous seasons. Perhaps we recall some information on deciduous plant physiology. Autumn leaf colors vary according to geographic regions owing to different types of deciduous tree species present.

Concerning other transitions of autumn, we mention a few obvious statistical changes. Autumn is the season of falling temperatures. From September 1 to November 30, the average daily high temperature falls 28º F. The average daily low temperature also drops 28º F. In three summer months, average daily highs and lows vary only 3º F for the entire season. 

Autumn is the season of decreasing daylight hours. We “lose” four hours of daylight during this season. Why? The tilt of Earth’s axis is responsible—23.4º away from perpendicular to the plane of Earth’s orbit. With no axis tilt temperature and daylight lengths would not vary seasonally because there would be no seasons. Life on Planet Earth would not be the same. Two posts of October 2017 discuss Planet Earth with and without seasons in some detail:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/sustained-by-seasons.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/earth-without-seasons.html

A favorite passage in Genesis 8:22 expresses the wonder of changeable weather, its effect on planting and harvest, and our enjoyment of variable environmental conditions. We perceive each descriptive condition mentioned in this verse as a blessing to humanity from our Creator: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (ESV)

In conversational exchanges we are prone to discuss the weather—sometimes happily satisfying and diverse, at other times unhappily or irritatingly alike. We also enjoy relating the wondrous unique behavioral changes of neighborhood plant and animal life with the progressive flow of seasonal weather events. Bird behavior has currently transitioned to autumn harvest abundance as temperatures decrease. Many scriptural themes relate to the autumn grape harvest.

In our back yard we have been blessed with a natural wild grape vine (vitis riparia) which has recently overtaken a 40 foot chokecherry tree. Such grape vines commonly ascend to over 50 feet in their voracious growth habits. They often overtake host trees. Several years ago this vine had not yet appeared. In the last two years the vine has become a natural back yard bird feeder 35 feet outside our ‘sun room’ windows. This year the vines produced an estimated 3-5 bushels of grapes (all inaccessible). At this writing we believe the plentiful grape supply will not survive another few days at the current rate of bird consumption. As we write, dozens of neighborhood birds, mostly robins and cedar waxwings, are providing entertaining avian bedlam and mayhem with grapes the focus of their attention. Their enthusiastic response to the current vintage is a joy to behold. Matthew 6:26 provides a background for our current grape tale: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (ESV) 

Before continuing this discourse, we quote Job:12: 7-10: “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” (ESV)

These verses need no further elaboration. Nevertheless, we comment: The grapes sometimes provide an overly sated condition: Robins sometimes eat more grapes than they should. They sometimes squabble over food with other robins but get along quite well with cedar waxwings—a different avian species.  This year pileated woodpeckers (one so far), sparrows, cardinals, and flickers (a few of each) have appeared at our grape vine feeder. We recall one unusual visitor a few weeks ago: Young turkeys are currently approaching their full growth. Recently, a mother turkey suddenly flew up with great effort to perch on unsteady branches in order to eat her fill of grapes while her young watched at a distance. The property owner was startled. The turkey managed her meal with substantial success. How did the mother turkey know the grapes were hidden in the high branches?

Perhaps the turkeys mentioned in the previous paragraph were a party to a front porch incident a few days before. Turkeys frequently take dust baths to preen their feathers. Instead of shaking off their dust in the woods, they opted to shake off the dust on our front porch, leaving behind turkey footprints in the thick dust. Do turkeys have a sense of humor as they relate to their human friends? And how do they know that their preening dust bath behavior helps maintain beautiful feathers? 

We challenge readers to contemplate the meaning of verses from Genesis 8, Matthew 6, and Job 12. Intellectual and emotional awareness of our environment and sharing our enthusiastic responses is an important way to call attention to God’s multidimensional divine glory.    

    

         

  

   

Solstices and Equinoxes

 At the Christmas and New Year holiday season Earth residents celebrate significant astronomical milestones.

Annual calendars reference seasons and lesser known events such as solstices and equinoxes. We become aware of environmental phenomena such as seasonal changes resulting in changing temperatures. Each year about December 22, Northern Hemisphere residents experience the winter solstice. Events such as solstices and equinoxes, important topics in the study of astronomy, occur twice per year.  

The winter solstice locates the season of the longest daily period of darkness and the shortest daily period of daylight during the calendar year. At about 40º N latitude, longest darkness translates to approximately fifteen hours of darkness and nine hours of daylight. The solstice also roughly locates the dates on which earliest sunset times pair with latest sunrise times.

We are aware of long and short daylight as well as early sunsets and late sunrises depending on our latitude. On a summer visit to Anchorage, Alaska, we visited stores open for business at 10:30 PM. Farther north we could have experienced “the land of the midnight sun.” Variations in day/night lengths and sunrise/sunset times depend on latitude and the time of year. In the northern hemisphere we experience the winter solstice in December. Our southern hemisphere friends experience their summer solstice in December, because their seasons are reversed.          

Some may not be familiar with the effect of changing angles of sunlight striking the earth’s surface from season to season. Summer’s direct rays provide more heat than winter’s indirect rays. In winter, the same amount of heat energy is spread over a larger area. Diluted heat energy results in lower temperatures. All of these effects contribute to seasonal temperature variation. These temperature phenomena provide topics of conversation for friends and neighbors.

Meteorology and astronomy are innately related. Those sciences provide plentiful opportunities for studying and understanding cause and effect relationships. Astronomy is considered an earth science because what occurs in space affects events on earth. There are fascinating interconnections between the different sciences. For example, the solstices mentioned above are astronomical phenomena, but they significantly relate to weather and climate.  

Teachers of astronomy use a number of devices to clarify astronomical concepts. One device was a celestial sphere consisting of a transparent plastic globe. Inside was a small earth globe students could manually rotate. On the plastic sphere prominent stars and constellations of the sky were imprinted. Students were able to visualize that they were located on the small earth globe inside the large sphere. In real life, earth residents gaze at the night sky and imagine individual stars and groupings of stars called constellations located on an imaginary sphere surrounding our planet. In reality, all celestial objects are located at various distances from our planet—some close, some light years away.

The celestial sphere model helps us understand some of the most important astronomical concepts. On our classroom celestial sphere model there were two great circles. One great circle was the “celestial equator” formed by extending the plane of the earth’s equator out to the plastic sphere. Another great circle was formed by extending the plane of the earth’s orbit out to the celestial sphere. (We cannot visualize the plane of the earth’s orbit from our plastic celestial globe model. But we can see where the plane of earth’s orbit crosses the model’s celestial equator.) The two great circles cross each other twice at an angle of 23.5º because earth’s axis of rotation is tilted 23.5º from the plane of the earth’s equator.

On our celestial sphere model, astronomers have plotted celestial coordinates of two great circles—the celestial equator and the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the great circle formed by the path traced by the position of the sun throughout the year. We link a post from 10/18/2011 which explains the concept of the great circle in our skies called the ecliptic: https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2011/10/bible-zodiac.html  The term “zodiac” helps us understand the concept of the ecliptic.

The ecliptic locates an infinite number of sun positions. It also locates several solar positions EXACTLY ON, at the HIGHEST POINT, and at the LOWEST POINT in relation to the celestial equator. When the sun is located exactly ON the celestial equator we experience an equinox—equal night and day. When the winter solstice occurs, the sun apparently stands still for a few days at its lowest point above the horizon, neither rising nor falling. The sun is close to the horizon and at many latitudes the temperature is COLD. Six months later when the summer solstice occurs, the sun again stands still for a few days at it highest location above the horizon. The sun is highest in the sky and the temperature is WARM.

If the axis of the earth were not tilted there would be no equinoxes, no solstices, and no seasons. We close our discussion of solstices and equinoxes with a link to our 2017 post—Earth Without Seasons. There is much to learn about God’s master plan to provide for the physical welfare of teeming billions of Earth residents. God provides for not only man’s spiritual welfare but also man’s physical welfare.

http://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/10/earth-without-seasons.html