Season

Autumn
Autumn or Fall is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.
The equinoxes might be expected to be in the middle of their respective seasons, but temperature lag (caused by the thermal latency of the ground and sea) means that seasons appear later than dates calculated from a purely astronomical perspective. The actual lag varies with region. Some cultures regard the autumnal equinox as "mid-autumn", others with a longer lag treat it as the start of autumn. Meteorologists (and most of the temperate countries in the southern hemisphere) use a definition based on months, with autumn being September, October and November in the northern hemisphere and March, April and May in the southern hemisphere.
In North America, autumn is usually considered to start with the September equinox.  In traditional East Asian solar term, autumn starts on or around 8 August and ends on about 7 November. In Ireland, the autumn months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are September, October and November.  However, according to the Irish Calendar which is based on ancient Gaelic traditions, autumn lasts throughout the months of August, September, and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition. In Australia, autumn officially begins on 1 March and ends 31 May According to United States tradition autumn runs from the day after Labor Day (i.e. the Tuesday following the first Monday of September) through Thanksgiving (i.e. the fourth Thursday in November), after which the holiday season that demarcates the unofficial beginning of winter begins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn

Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter

Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The date of the beginning of summer varies according to climate, culture, and tradition, but when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer

Spring

Spring is one of the four temperate seasons following winter and preceding summer. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. At the spring equinox, days are close to 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection, and regrowth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_%28season%29

Famous Spot

Spring's here, and that means a new crop of travel picks.

National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, D.C.

Blooming pink and white blossoms have heralded spring's arrival in the nation's capital since 1912 when the people of Tokyo gifted Washington, D.C., with 3,000 ornamental cherry trees. The living gift spawned the nation’s signature springtime celebration, extended to five weeks (March 20 to April 27) for the 2012 centennial edition. Daily events pay tribute to the relationship between the United States and Japan. While some—like the high-energy National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, April 14—are date-specific, many extend through summer.

The National Geographic Museum’s "Samurai: The Warrior Transformed" exhibition, March 7 to September 3, explores the history of the samurai military tradition and includes artifacts such as a suit of armor presented to President Theodore Roosevelt. Also on display is the early 20th-century hand-tinted photographs of Japan taken by Eliza Scidmore, the first woman to serve on the National Geographic Board. Scidmore played an integral role in bringing the cherry blossoms to Washington.
The free Library of Congress exhibition, "Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship," illuminates the story of the landmark trees through watercolor drawings, Japanese color woodblock prints and books, and photographs.
During the festival, take the U.S. National Arboretum’s self-guided “Beyond the Tidal Basin” tour to learn about ongoing efforts to preserve the District’s blooming cultural ambassadors.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-spring-2012/

Winter doesn't have to mean long months indoors. Our editors have chosen ten trips that will have you gearing up for adventure or joining in local festivities—warm- and cold-weather travel that's sure to cure the winter blues.

Petra and Wadi Rum, Jordan

Built by nomadic Nabataeans two millennia ago, rose-red Petra is a “lost” city well worth finding. The ancient commercial crossroads chiseled from bedrock cliffs is situated between the Red and Dead Seas, about a hundred miles north of King Hussein International Airport. Follow the 3,300-foot-long, serpentine entry path—the Siq—through towering sandstone walls to Al-Khazne (the Treasury). The elaborately carved, 13-story tomb served as the final resting place of the Holy Grail in the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Explore empty caves, visit the archeological and Nabataean museums, and hike 800 steps up to the top of Al-Dier (the Monastery). From Petra, head south to Wadi Rum (“Valley of the Moon”), the desert valley setting for Lawrence of Arabia, where local Bedouin guides lead rock-climbing treks, canyon hikes, jeep tours, and horseback and camel rides. Highlights include the Red Sand Dunes and the spectacular Seven Pillars of Wisdom rock formation, the latter named for T.E. Lawrence’s autobiography. End the day sleeping under the stars at one of the area’s Bedouin-style desert tourist camps.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-winter-2012/



Just in time for summer, our travel editors present ten trips for nature lovers and urban explorers.

Isla del Sol, Bolivia

 

Mythological birthplace of the omnipotent sun god, Inti, Isla del Sol is the largest island in Lake Titicaca (pictured here near the town of Copacabana), one of the world’s highest navigable lakes at 12,500 feet. Rocky trails shared by hikers, the local Aymara community, and pack donkeys and llamas (no cars allowed) link dozens of pre-Inca and Inca ruins. Winter (June to September) is dry season: clear skies, bright sun, and high temperatures in the 50s. Slowly acclimate to the altitude in sprawling La Paz, the world's highest capital city (11,800 feet), before catching a bus to Copacabana, Bolivian departure point for Isla del Sol ferries. On the island’s north end, explore the courtyards and rooms of Chincana and visit nearby Titi Khar’ka, the revered Rock of the Puma. Head south to climb 206 steep, Inca-built stone steps (Escalera del Inca) to a fabled “fountain of youth.” Spend the night at solar-heated Ecolodge La Estancia—15 adobe-brick, thatch-roof cottages constructed over restored pre-Inca agricultural terraces and surrounded by high-Andes fields planted with quinoa, lima beans, and potatoes.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-summer-2012/
 

  
The wet season, monsoon seasonor rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It usually lasts one or more months. The term "green season" is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics and subtropics. Under the Köppen climate classification, for tropical climates, a wet season month is defined as a month where average precipitation is 60 millimetres (2.4 in) or more. In contrast to areas with savanna climates and monsoon regimes, mediterranean climates have wet winters and dry summers. Tropical rainforests technically do not have dry or wet seasons, since their rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year.Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mid-season, when the intertropical convergence zone or monsoon trough moves poleward of their location during the middle of the warm season.

When the wet season occurs during a warm season, or summer, precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The wet season is a time when air quality improves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows substantially, leading to crop yields late in the season. Floods cause rivers to overflow their banks, and some animals to retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures. Animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wetter regime. Often, the previous dry season leads to food shortages in the wet season, as the crops have yet to mature.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_season