Climate tipping points
Thresholds in the climate system that, if crossed, trigger self-reinforcing changes leading to a fundamentally different and often more extreme climate state. Examples include the collapse of Arctic permafrost and the destabilization of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
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Related Terms
Tipping Point
A threshold in a system — ecological, social, or physical — ...
Permafrost
Ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive year...
Hothouse Earth
A hypothetical future climate state in which cascading tippi...
Climate commitment
The additional warming already locked into Earth's climate s...