Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.

Many dynamical systems, including lakes, organisms, ocean circulation patterns, or financial markets, are now thought to have tipping points where critical transitions to a contrasting state can happen. Because critical transitions can occur unexpectedly and are difficult to manage, there is a need...

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Main Authors: Vasilis Dakos, Stephen R Carpenter, William A Brock, Aaron M Ellison, Vishwesha Guttal, Anthony R Ives, Sonia Kéfi, Valerie Livina, David A Seekell, Egbert H van Nes, Marten Scheffer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041010
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author Vasilis Dakos
Stephen R Carpenter
William A Brock
Aaron M Ellison
Vishwesha Guttal
Anthony R Ives
Sonia Kéfi
Valerie Livina
David A Seekell
Egbert H van Nes
Marten Scheffer
author_facet Vasilis Dakos
Stephen R Carpenter
William A Brock
Aaron M Ellison
Vishwesha Guttal
Anthony R Ives
Sonia Kéfi
Valerie Livina
David A Seekell
Egbert H van Nes
Marten Scheffer
author_sort Vasilis Dakos
collection DOAJ
description Many dynamical systems, including lakes, organisms, ocean circulation patterns, or financial markets, are now thought to have tipping points where critical transitions to a contrasting state can happen. Because critical transitions can occur unexpectedly and are difficult to manage, there is a need for methods that can be used to identify when a critical transition is approaching. Recent theory shows that we can identify the proximity of a system to a critical transition using a variety of so-called 'early warning signals', and successful empirical examples suggest a potential for practical applicability. However, while the range of proposed methods for predicting critical transitions is rapidly expanding, opinions on their practical use differ widely, and there is no comparative study that tests the limitations of the different methods to identify approaching critical transitions using time-series data. Here, we summarize a range of currently available early warning methods and apply them to two simulated time series that are typical of systems undergoing a critical transition. In addition to a methodological guide, our work offers a practical toolbox that may be used in a wide range of fields to help detect early warning signals of critical transitions in time series data.
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spelling doaj-art-3872659110fd4c0dbcd63ceb91164f4b2025-08-20T02:35:33ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0177e4101010.1371/journal.pone.0041010Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.Vasilis DakosStephen R CarpenterWilliam A BrockAaron M EllisonVishwesha GuttalAnthony R IvesSonia KéfiValerie LivinaDavid A SeekellEgbert H van NesMarten SchefferMany dynamical systems, including lakes, organisms, ocean circulation patterns, or financial markets, are now thought to have tipping points where critical transitions to a contrasting state can happen. Because critical transitions can occur unexpectedly and are difficult to manage, there is a need for methods that can be used to identify when a critical transition is approaching. Recent theory shows that we can identify the proximity of a system to a critical transition using a variety of so-called 'early warning signals', and successful empirical examples suggest a potential for practical applicability. However, while the range of proposed methods for predicting critical transitions is rapidly expanding, opinions on their practical use differ widely, and there is no comparative study that tests the limitations of the different methods to identify approaching critical transitions using time-series data. Here, we summarize a range of currently available early warning methods and apply them to two simulated time series that are typical of systems undergoing a critical transition. In addition to a methodological guide, our work offers a practical toolbox that may be used in a wide range of fields to help detect early warning signals of critical transitions in time series data.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041010
spellingShingle Vasilis Dakos
Stephen R Carpenter
William A Brock
Aaron M Ellison
Vishwesha Guttal
Anthony R Ives
Sonia Kéfi
Valerie Livina
David A Seekell
Egbert H van Nes
Marten Scheffer
Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.
PLoS ONE
title Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.
title_full Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.
title_fullStr Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.
title_full_unstemmed Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.
title_short Methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data.
title_sort methods for detecting early warnings of critical transitions in time series illustrated using simulated ecological data
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041010
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