Articles | Volume 16, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1611-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1611-2025
Review
 | Highlight paper
 | 
08 Oct 2025
Review | Highlight paper |  | 08 Oct 2025

Tipping points in ocean and atmosphere circulations

Sina Loriani, Yevgeny Aksenov, David I. Armstrong McKay, Govindasamy Bala, Andreas Born, Cristiano Mazur Chiessi, Henk A. Dijkstra, Jonathan F. Donges, Sybren Drijfhout, Matthew H. England, Alexey V. Fedorov, Laura C. Jackson, Kai Kornhuber, Gabriele Messori, Francesco S. R. Pausata, Stefanie Rynders, Jean-Baptiste Sallée, Bablu Sinha, Steven C. Sherwood, Didier Swingedouw, and Thejna Tharammal

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-2589', Anonymous Referee #1, 29 Dec 2023
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Sina Loriani, 15 Oct 2024
  • CC1: 'Comment on AMOC statements in egusphere-2023-2589', Stefan Rahmstorf, 29 Mar 2024
    • CC2: 'Postscript on CC1', Stefan Rahmstorf, 30 Mar 2024
      • AC3: 'Reply on CC2', Sina Loriani, 15 Oct 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-2589', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Apr 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Sina Loriani, 15 Oct 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (01 Nov 2024) by Axel Kleidon
AR by Sina Loriani on behalf of the Authors (13 Dec 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (23 Dec 2024) by Axel Kleidon
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (29 Dec 2024)
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (16 Jan 2025)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (24 Jan 2025) by Axel Kleidon
AR by Sina Loriani on behalf of the Authors (18 Apr 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (08 May 2025) by Axel Kleidon
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (14 May 2025)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (10 Jun 2025) by Axel Kleidon
AR by Sina Loriani on behalf of the Authors (18 Jun 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (01 Jul 2025) by Axel Kleidon
ED: Publish as is (05 Jul 2025) by Axel Kleidon (Chief editor)
AR by Sina Loriani on behalf of the Authors (14 Jul 2025)  Manuscript 
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Chief editor
This paper represents a state-of-the-art review of tipping points in the physical climate system. It should be of great value and use to inform the community about the current status of research on tipping points and global climate change.
Short summary
In this work, we draw on palaeo-records, observations, and modelling studies to review tipping points in the ocean overturning circulations, monsoon systems, and global atmospheric circulations. We find indications for tipping in the ocean overturning circulations and the West African monsoon, with potentially severe impacts on the Earth system and humans. Tipping in the other considered systems is regarded as conceivable but is currently not sufficiently supported by evidence.
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