Cascading

This mosque has six minarets and cascading domes.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped an unprecedented amount of rainfall over the greater Houston area, some of which has been attributed to human-induced climate change. Resulting power outages had cascading effects on critical infrastructure facilities such as hospitals and water and wastewater treatment plants.

Another event that caused a series of cascading delays was the accidental grounding of the container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal, which blocked shipping through the key artery for six days in March.

A bio-diverse ecosystem is often a delicate balance, and it doesn’t take much to upset it. In her research, co-author Diane Srivastava has studied the cascading effects of extinction. In one experiment, the University of British Columbia ecologist removed the ecosystem’s top predator — a damsel fly larva — from a single bromeliad plant — with surprising results.

Meteorologists warn the extreme heat gripping India and Pakistan is likely to have many cascading effects on human health, ecosystems, agriculture, water, energy, and the economy.