A “tipping point” in climate science refers to a critical threshold where small changes lead to significant, often irreversible impacts on the environment. As reported by the BBC, research shows six critical tipping points are “likely” to be crossed with current warming trend.

1. Greenland Ice Sheet collapse
2. West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse
3. Atlantic Ocean circulation disruption
4. Coral reef die-off
5. Permafrost thaw
6. Barents Sea ice loss

Unclear about the planetary impact these tipping points might have? Hear British journalist and BBC News Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, sharing how global warming may trigger irreversible changes to our planet, in BBC’s episodes, The Climate Tipping Points:

• The Arctic
• Ocean Circulation
• Cascading
• Antarctica
• Society

See Swedish scientist and joint director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, Johan Rockström, getting into all the details at the TED stage:

Get even deeper explanations from Tim Lenton, professor of Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter: