Game of Thrones is one of the most famous TV series of all time. Viewers around the world literally can't get enough of this large-scale fantasy world. However, not everyone fully understands how the climate of Westeros works and why the seasons in this world do not coincide with real observations.
Seasons in Westeros can last for decades, which challenges the usual ideas about nature, seasons and climate. So why was winter so long?
British scientists decided to study this issue and proposed their own theory. Research conducted by scientists from the universities of Bristol, Cardiff and Southampton explain the long seasons in the world of Game of Thrones by the unusual tilt of the planet's axis. According to their hypothesis, the planet on which the action of the series takes place has an unusual axis position. One of the poles is much closer to the Sun, which leads to such an unusual length of seasons — summer and winter can last for decades.
In order to confirm their hypotheses, the scientists created a computer model that simulated the climate of Westeros. The results showed that the Wall, which protects the northern lands of Westeros from the White Walkers, is located in a climate zone similar to Lapland or Finland. While the Lannister castle on Cutserley Rock, like other lands in the southern parts of Westeros, is located in a zone whose climate resembles Houston, Texas.
In addition, the scientists did not ignore the global warming that could occur on such a planet. If the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere doubled, and carbon dioxide and methane emissions from dragons became significant, the average temperature on the planet would increase by 2.1 degrees. This would lead to a rise in global sea levels and the flooding of coastal cities.
Interestingly, the study was translated into the languages used in Westeros, such as Dothraki and High Valyrian. Apparently, scientists decided that knowledge about the climate should be available not only to the modern world, but also to the inhabitants of the fictional continent.
