NWO XS-grant for research on spatial tipping points in the ocean

Global warming is pushing the Earth system towards abrupt and irreversible transitions (tipping points) with catastrophic implications. Simulations show that the Atlantic Ocean circulation could cross its tipping point, leading to significant weakening under future global warming. But the spatial aspect and key areas of tipping in the Atlantic Ocean are still unclear. New deep learning methods could help to detect approaching tipping points and spatially indicate tipping risks in a basin-wide context. This would allow us to identify the most promising locations in the Atlantic for early warning of tipping points and thus mitigate negative impacts of global warming. 

Grohganz explains: “This NWO XS grant allows me to use my newly developed deep learning model to investigate where in the Atlantic Ocean circulation catastrophic tipping points might occur. Leveraging powerful computational resources, I will search for tipping points in big simulation datasets composed of thousands of timeseries, that map the Atlantic Ocean circulation across the entire ocean basin. This approach will allow me to gain an insight into where exactly the Atlantic Ocean circulation might tip in the future and will provide us with promising locations in the Atlantic to install future early warning systems.”