Abrupt climate change

Abrupt climate change is a substantial shift in climate occurring much faster than the changes that drive it. It can unfold over years to decades and affect large regions or the global climate system.

Climate tipping point: A threshold beyond which a climate system component can shift rapidly or become self-sustaining. Crossing a threshold can trigger change far faster than the original forcing.
Dansgaard–Oeschger event: A rapid warming episode recorded in Greenland ice during the last glacial period, followed by slower cooling. These events are a classic example of abrupt regional climate change.
Climate variability: Fluctuations in climate conditions across time and space, distinct from the long-term trend alone. Abrupt shifts are a particular form of climate variability.
Climate change and civilization: The study of how climatic shifts affect human societies, settlement, economies, and political systems. Rapid local changes can challenge food supplies and social stability.
Gradual climate change: A climate shift that unfolds progressively over a timescale comparable to or longer than its driving changes. It contrasts with a response much faster than its forcing.
Climate feedback: A process by which a climate change alters conditions in ways that amplify or dampen the change. Positive feedbacks can accelerate an initially gradual shift.
Heinrich event: A glacial episode in which large numbers of ice-rafted rocks were deposited across the North Atlantic. Heinrich events document major ice-sheet discharge and ocean changes.
Climate forcing: An external influence that changes Earth's energy balance, such as greenhouse gases, aerosols, or solar output. The shift is abrupt relative to the forcing that drives it.
Ecosystem regime shift: A large, persistent change in an ecosystem's structure and function. Abrupt climate shifts can push ecosystems into a different state.
Seasonal variation: The recurring annual pattern of climate conditions caused chiefly by Earth's axial tilt and orbit. Regular seasonal swings are not abrupt climate shifts in the long-term sense.

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