Tipping Elements in the Earth System
Overview
AIMES, the Earth Commission Working Group 1 Earth and Human Systems Intercomparison Modelling Project (EHSMIP) under the Global Commons Alliance, and the Safe Landing Climates Lighthouse Activity of World Climate Research Program (WCRP) are organizing a discussion series that aims to advance the knowledge about tipping elements, irreversibility, and abrupt changes in the Earth system. The discussion series is intended to support efforts to increase consistency in treatment of tipping elements in the scientific community, develop a research agenda, and design joint experiments and ideas for a Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project (TipMip). The primary objective is to create an international science platform for the study of climatic, ecological and social tipping elements and their interactions in the Earth system.
Objectives & Goals
- Facilitate and coordinate synthesis and review activities and publications on the risks imposed by climate and ecological tipping elements and their potentially cascading interactions, early warning signals and intervention/management options, as well as on the opportunities offered by societal tipping elements and their interactions for sustainability transformation.
- Identify corresponding research needs.
- Convene workshops and other activities around these topics.
- Serve as a science-based clearing house for these topics for research and policy communities.
Organizing Committee
The Tipping Points in the Earth System working group’s organizing committee is comprised of members of the Analysis, Integration, and Modeling of the Earth System (AIMES), the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) Safe Landing Climate Activity, and the Earth Commission.
Govindasamy Bala
Indian Institute of Science, India
AIMES, Earth Commission
Victor Brovkin
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany
AIMES
Jonathan Donges
Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research, Germany
AIMES
Gabi Hegerl
University of Edinburgh, UK
WCRP
Tim Lenton
University of Exeter, UK
AIMES, Earth Commission
Nebojsa Nakicenovic
IIASA, Austria
Earth Commission
Steven Sherwood
Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC), University of New South Wales, Australia
WCRP
Ricarda Winkelmann
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany
Earth Commission
Caroline Zimm
IIASA, Austria
Earth Commission
Tipping Elements Discussion Series
Discussion Series: Education and Digitalisation
Discussion Series: Education and Digitalisation Location: VirtualDates: 25 May 15:30 - 17:00 CESTRegister: https://futureearth.confetti.events/education-and-digitalisation Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP for the webinar series that aims to advance...
Discussion Series: Climate extremes and impacts on the terrestrial carbon-cycle and fires
Discussion Series: Climate extremes and impacts on the terrestrial carbon-cycle and fires Location: VirtualDates: 20 April 2023, 15:00-16:30 CESTRegister: https://climateextremes.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP for the webinar...
Discussion Series: Entering Social Tipping: Norms, Agency and Scales
Discussion Series: Entering Social Tipping: Norms, Agency and Scales Location: VirtualDates: 30 March 2023, 15:00-16:30 CESTRegister: https://entering-social-tipping-norms-agency-and-scales.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP for the...
Discussion Series: Governing Earth System Tipping Points in Times of Multiple Crises
Discussion Series: Governing Earth System Tipping Points in Times of Multiple Crises Location: VirtualDates: 27 February 2023, 14:00-15:30 CETRegister: https://governance-of-climate-tipping-points.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP...
Discussion Series: Climate Tipping Points: how to tip society, not the planet
Discussion Series: Climate Tipping Points: how to tip society, not the planet Location: VirtualDates: 26 January 2023, 15:00-16:30 CETRegister: https://tipping-points-positive-tipping.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP for the...
Discussion Series: Health implications of climate tipping points
Discussion Series: Health implications of climate tipping points Location: VirtualDates: 5 December 2022, 17:30 - 19:00 CETRegister: https://health-implications-of-climate-tipping-points.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and the WCRP Safe...
Discussion Series: Cloud feedbacks and atmospheric dynamics
Discussion Series: Cloud feedbacks and atmospheric dynamics Location: VirtualDates: 23 November 2022, 10:30 - 12:00 CETRegister: https://cloud-feedbacks-and-atmospheric-dynamics.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and the WCRP Safe Landing...
Discussion Series: Coral reefs
Join us for this coral reef focused webinar from the latest series on tipping elements, irreversibility, and abrupt changes in the Earth system from AIMES, Earth Commission and WCRP taking place on 20 October 15:30 – 17:00 CEST.
Discussion Series: Paleoclimate Insights on Societal Collapse
Discussion Series: Paleoclimate Insights on Societal Collapse Location: VirtualDates: 3 June 2022, 17:30-19:00 CESTRegister: https://tipping-series-positive-paleo-collaps.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP for the Amazon focused...
Discussion Series: Tipping Towards Positive Social Change
Discussion Series: Tipping Towards Positive Social Change Location: VirtualDates: 12 May 2022, 10:30 CESTRegister: https://tipping-series-positive-social-tipping.confetti.events/ Join AIMES, Earth Commission, Future Earth and WCRP for the Amazon focused webinar in a...
Upcoming Events
Addressing Key Uncertainties in Modelling Physical and Ecological Tipping Dynamics in the Earth System (towards TIPMIP)
Learn more and apply to participate in the WE-Heraeus Seminar on ‘Addressing Key Uncertainties in Modelling Physical and Ecological Tipping Dynamics in the Earth System (towards TIPMIP)’ that will take place 5-8 Nov 2023.
TIPMIP Website
Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project(Image source: Sina Loriani @ PIK) The Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project led by Ricarda Winkelmann and Jonathan Donges at Potsdam Institute for Climate Systems Research (PIK) now has a website detailing the...
Past Events
EGU Abstract Submission: Earth resilience, tipping points and human-Earth system interactions in the Anthropocene
Climate Tipping Points, Irreversibility and their Consequences for Society, Environment and Economies | Switzerland’s Proposal for an IPCC Special Report
Climate Tipping Points, Irreversibility and their Consequences for Society, Environment and Economies | Switzerland’s Proposal for an IPCC Special ReportABOUT THIS SESSION Over the past decades, our scientific understanding of climate change has significantly grown....
Tipping Points and Understanding Earth Observation data needs for a Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project
Tipping Points and Understanding Earth Observation data needs for a Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project The International Space Science Institute is hosting a workshop on 10-14 October 2022 in Bern, Switzerland. Workshops are selected by the ISSI Directors...
Governing tipping elements in the Earth system as the new global commons of the Anthropocene
Governing tipping elements in the Earth system as the new global commons of the Anthropocene This two-day cross-disciplinary in-person workshop will be jointly hosted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and the Institute for Advanced...
Tipping Points Conference at the University of Exeter: From Climate Crisis to Positive Transformation
Tipping Points - from climate crisis to positive transformation On 12-14 September 2022, the University of Exeter is hosting a ‘call to action’ to form an alliance to improve warnings of the proximity of catastrophic climate tipping points and to accelerate positive...
EGU Session: Tipping points, domino effects and resilience in the Earth system Abstract Submission
EGU Abstract Submission: Tipping points, domino effects and resilience in the Earth system Co-organized by CR7/NP8/OS1 Convener: Ricarda Winkelmann | Co-conveners: Jonathan Donges, Victor Brovkin, Sarah Cornell, Timothy Lenton In this session we invite contributions...
Expression of Interest: Tipping Element Model Intercomparison Project
The Earth Commission’s Working Group 1 (Earth and Human Systems Modelling Intercomparison Project), Future Earth’s global research project Analysis, Integration, and Modeling of the Earth System (AIMES) and the Safe Landing Climates Light House Activity of World...
Workshop: Remote Sensing of Tipping Points in the Climate System
Hosted by the International Space Science Institute and convened by ESA Climate Office and the Future Earth AIMES project, a workshop held 26-29 January 2021 brought modelers and the remote-sensing community together to discuss how Earth observations can contribute to our understanding of tipping elements in the climate system and help with early warning of change.
Workshop: Abrupt changes, thresholds, and tipping points in Earth history and future implications
AIMES and PAGES organized a workshop at MPI-M to summarize and evaluate evidence on non-linear Earth System dynamics in recent geological history, and discuss how best to acquire, analyze and interpret such data to understand the risk of future abrupt transitions.