Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The notion of tipping points and related terminology have so far had inconsistent and sometimes confusing definitions in both scientific and popular literature. While it is difficult for the scientific community to align popular usage of the term tipping point with a precise definition, technical usage of related terms would benefit from greater consistency and rigor. Toward this end, we offer a systematic set of terms to clarify formal communication around potential tipping dynamics, with focus on examples from Earth system dynamics.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Boers, Niklas, Kopp, Robert E., Ashwin, Peter, Bathiany, Sebastian, Ben-Yami, Maya, Börner, Reyk, Carnicer, Jofre, Dijkstra, Henk, Frölicher, Thomas L., Ghil, Michael, Gilmore, Elisabeth, Hegerl, Gabriele C., Jackson, Laura, Jain, Shipra, Lapola, David, Lenton, Timothy M., Lucarini, Valerio, Liu, Teng, Meccia, Virna L., Morr, Andreas, Romanou, Anastasia, Stocker, Thomas F., Winkelmann, Ricarda, Xiao, Cunde, Yang, Shuting
Institutions: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Exeter, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Technical University of Munich, Utrecht University, Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Universitat de Barcelona, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Carleton University, University of Edinburgh, Met Office, University College London, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), University of Leicester, Great Bay University, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Columbia University, Fudan University, Danish Meteorological Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1604232322, G1988513465, G3165112779, G4149034724, Exploring Tipping Points and Their Impacts Using Earth System Models, G6287184903, PAST TO FUTURE: TOWARDS FULLY PALEO-INFORMED FUTURE CLIMATE PROJECTIONS, Climate Tipping Points: Uncertainty-aware quantification of Earth system tipping potential from observations and models and assessment of associated climatic, ecological, and socioeconomic impacts, Large-Scale CoPe: Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub: Researching Complex Interactions Between Coastal Hazards and Risk, G9000841612
OpenAlex ID: W7221771978