Called tipping points to those events related to global warming that, once overcome, represent a point of no return and will be impossible to stop, entering a positive feedback loop where there will be more and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, increasing global warming. Tipping points are irreversible changes.
Tipping points that must not be exceeded
Next, I will break down the inflection points, of no return that should not be exceeded.
1. Permafrost thaw
Permafrost is the layer of soil that is frozen year-round in arctic ecosystems such as tundra, and which harbors large amounts of organic matter that are in a permanently frozen state.
The problem with the thawing of the permafrost is that once all this organic matter thaws, it will begin to degrade rapidly due to the effect of microorganisms, releasing large amounts of methane into the atmosphere, something that has begun to be observed. In this post about methane, he explained the consequences of this gas on global warming and climate change.
2. Loss of the Amazon rainforest
This is another point of no return. If the vegetation cover of the Amazon is lost, the water cycle will be seriously affected since the trees, when carrying out photosynthesis, emit water vapor into the atmosphere from evapotranspiration, and the formation of clouds and, therefore, of rain. would be compromised.
The loss of such a wide and diverse vegetation cover will have serious consequences for CO2 capture, favoring an atmosphere that is increasingly rich in greenhouse gases. Although the increase in temperature will jeopardize the existence of the Amazon, deforestation is the main problem it faces, which can have serious consequences for the entire climate system and the planet. Not surprisingly, when climate change began to become relevant, international funds were created for the protection of the Amazon.
3. The total loss of ice from the Arctic during the summer
Although the Arctic ice cap is variable between summer and winter, being less in summer, if this ice cap is completely lost the planet will warm up more quickly. This is due to the disappearance of the albedo effect. The albedo effect is the ability of very white surfaces (such as ice and snow) to reflect sunlight, preventing infrared radiation (heat) from being absorbed by the Earth’s surface and preventing it from heating up. Conversely, the ocean is darker so infrared radiation is absorbed by the ocean. An increasingly warm ocean will prevent the formation of ice on its surface.
Another effect that has been observed is the atlantification of the Barents Sea, which slows down the formation of ice on the planet’s surface.
4. Melting glaciers, Greenland and Antarctica
The main effect is the reduction of the albedo effect explained above, which will lead to the acceleration of global warming. Continental glaciers are clearly receding in the Himalayas, in Europe and Asia. The consequences will not only affect global warming but also the water cycle, increasing the chances of drought in areas where it was highly improbable and the generation of electrical energy by hydraulic means, a technology widely used in Scandinavia, and that the summer of 2022 has already been compromised.
Tipping points positivos
To date, many efforts have been made to control climate change tipping points that can have disastrous consequences, but not much emphasis has been placed on the positive ones.
Now a group of scientists led by Tim Lenton, a professor at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) and an expert in tipping points, have presented a plan to find those positive inflection points that can lead to a change in the consequences of global warming.
Some of these positive points may be the development of renewable energies due to institutional support and lower prices as opposed to other energies that may become more expensive such as oil or natural gas.