OHB, AWI, Exeter Launch ESA Study on Climate Tipping Points
Bremen – October 27, 2026 -- OHB, the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the University of Exeter have started a two-year study for the European Space Agency (ESA) to test whether current and future Earth observation systems can detect climate tipping points early.
EO4TIPP targets four tipping processes
The study, called EO4TIPP (Future Earth Observation Architecture for Monitoring Tipping Points), covers four processes: thawing permafrost, changes in the Amazon rainforest, a possible collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
The partners will identify the observation data that matter most for each process and map existing gaps in coverage. They will then draw up recommendations for future Earth observation missions and monitoring services.