Tipping Points: Climate Surprises

Abstract

We know that the more greenhouse gases are released, the more the world warms. But, at a certain point, could a small amount of extra greenhouse gas cause a very big change in the climate? And could this big change be irreversible? When a small change causes a very large (and long-term) effect, we call this a tipping point. Scientists are trying to understand whether tipping points exist in the Earth’s climate system, and if so, what impact these could have.