Earth’s Domino Effect: Melting Greenland Ice Could Trigger Amazon Rainforest Collapse

Adaptivity is threatened by global warming and deforestation.

The Earth’s climate system is highly complex, with its key components—the ocean, atmosphere, and vegetation—closely interconnected. Changes in one element can trigger widespread effects throughout the system. While these components exhibit some resilience and can absorb certain fluctuations, climate and Earth-system research suggest the existence of critical tipping points. If these thresholds are crossed, the climate system could shift rapidly into a different state.

Tipping points in the climate system are believed to interact, potentially triggering cascading effects. Two significant global tipping points are the Amazon rainforest and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Continued global warming could substantially weaken the AMOC, disrupting the oceanic conveyor belt that transports warm water to northern latitudes. This would alter temperature distribution across the Atlantic, which, in turn, could impact the Amazon region. Changes in Atlantic temperatures would influence the atmospheric water cycle, leading to shifts in precipitation patterns that could further destabilize the rainforest ecosystem.