Six Climate Tipping Points that Could Trigger Climate Emergency

The planet suffers from climate change and global warming, causing massive environmental damage. Researches suggested that the current global heat could lead to a risk of triggering six dangerous climate tipping points.

In a special UN report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reiterates the importance of maintaining and reducing the global temperature on Earth. It can prevent catastrophic environmental concerns such as the melting of glaciers and damage to ecosystems.

IPCC is the United Nations (UN) responsible for assessing the Science related to climate change.

IPCC introduced the term climate tipping points.

Furthermore, the BBC reported that the current rates of global heat would put the Earth at risk.

It could cause the collapse of ice sheets and damage to coral reefs, and such a scenario could lead to a climate emergency.

The report also added that it might ignite a change in the Earth, affecting oceans, weather, and the environment.

Once it starts, it will be irreversible and unstoppable.

Also read: Collapse of Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' Could Trigger Deadly Tsunamis and Swallow Islands

Climate tipping points

(Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Experts initially thought the tipping points could only be reached if the global temperature increased to more than 5c.

However, the BBC reported that there is evidence that the thresholds may be reached earlier.

As published in Science, the catastrophic tipping points in the research "exceeding 1.5°C global warming" could trigger multiple climate tipping points.

The BBC further reported the following tipping points are as follows:

sea ice loss in the Barents Sea
thawing of permafrost in the Northern regions
coral reef die-off in the low latitudes
collapse of ocean circulation in North Atlantic
West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse
Greenland Ice Sheet collapse

The UN reported that Greenland and Antarctica experienced losing ice six times faster than 30 years ago.

It is because of the worsening climate change. Climate tipping points could also increase potential higher risks.

Greenland and Antarctica show signs of losing ice faster than scientists imagined, six times faster than 30 years ago.

In a BBC News report, a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate and Co-author Ricarda Winkermann said that the many tipping points in the Earth pose a serious concern.

Doomsday glacier

The Nature World News reported 'Doomsday Glacier' Raises Concerns for Scientists.'

The Doomsday glacier is also known as the Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica with a size like the state of Florida.

The report said that the glacier, from its seabed, retreated yearly at an alarming rate of 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers). It is considered twice from the observation of scientists in the past decade.

Moreover, research revealed that the warm water flowing underneath the glacier could melt.

It could result in high-risk sea levels globally.

Global warming is attributed to triggering the six dangerous climate tipping points.

The UN said that human-induced global warming has led to multiple changes in the climate system, increasing ocean temperatures and heat waves affecting humans and the ecosystems.

The UN also reiterated that limiting and reducing global warming is important in addressing potential climate tipping points.