A 'super' El Niño could push the Amazon past an irreversible tipping point

The Amazon rainforest may be closer to a tipping point than scientists previously believed, according to analysis published in Nature. Intensifying droughts and fires linked to a potential "super" El Niño event could push the world's largest rainforest into irreversible decline. Researchers warn that the loss of the Amazon would have catastrophic consequences for the global climate.