The disastrous consequences of climate "tipping points" could be averted if global warming was reversed quickly enough, new research suggests.
The disastrous consequences of climate "tipping points" could be averted if global warming was reversed quickly enough, new research suggests.
Once triggered, tipping points may lead to abrupt changes such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest or melting of major ice sheets.
Until now, crossing these thresholds has been assumed to be a point of no return, but the new study – published in the journal Nature – concludes that thresholds could be "temporarily exceeded" without prompting permanent shifts.
The research team, from the University of Exeter and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), say the time available to act would depend on the level of global warming and the timescale involved in each tipping point.
Read more at University of Exeter
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