Abrupt climate change

Abrupt climate change is a transition in the climate system that occurs more rapidly than the change in external forcing. It goes beyond ordinary climate variability and can involve sudden forcing events. In climate-change contexts, it can mean a change detectable within a human lifetime, potentially caused by feedback loops or climate-system tipping points. Examples of past events include the Younger Dryas, Dansgaard–Oeschger events and Heinrich events.

Definition

A climate transition faster than the rate of external forcing change

Possible mechanisms

Feedback loops and climate-system tipping points

Past examples

Younger Dryas, Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events