Planetary Tipping Systems - Interactive

Climate tipping points are critical thresholds in Earth’s climate system where a small additional change triggers a self-perpetuating, often irreversible shift to a new state. Research identifies 16 major tipping elements—from collapsing ice sheets to dying coral reefs—with temperature thresholds that may be crossed at current warming levels (~1.47°C). Crossing one tipping point can cascade into others, potentially committing the planet to several metres of sea level rise, rainforest dieback, and disrupted ocean circulation. A 2026 assessment warns that these cascading interactions, coupled with accelerating warming (~0.31°C per decade) and amplifying feedbacks, could push Earth onto an irreversible “hothouse” trajectory.

Armstrong McKay, D.I., Staal, A., Abrams, J.F., et al. (2022). Exceeding 1.5°C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points. Science, 377(6611), eabn7950. doi:10.1126/science.abn7950

Ripple, W.J., Wolf, C., Rockström, J., Richardson, K., Wunderling, N., Gregg, J.W., Westerhold, T., & Schellnhuber, H.J. (2026). The risk of a hothouse Earth trajectory. One Earth, 9, 101565. doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101565