8 pictures that show Earth is on the verge of boiling over

• A new study shows that the Earth's 'tipping points' could be right around the corner.
• Any one tipping point can cause a domino effect that would fast track climate change.
• These pictures show indicators that point to Earth being on the verge of a climate calamity.

'Freak' natural calamities — like the fires of the $4 and $4 dying — aren't random. They are all interconnected. And, they paint a worrying picture — Earth's climate is on the verge of boiling over, according to a new study published in $4.

'Tipping points' or large-scale discontinuities in the climate system were only thought to occur if global warming exceeds 5 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial levels, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

But researchers have found evidence of the planet to be on the brink of breaching some of these 'tipping points' even between 1 to 2 degrees Celcius of warming.

"If current national pledges to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions are implemented — and that's a big 'if' — they are likely to result in at least 3 °C of global warming," the study notes.

Here are 8 pictures that show how dangerously close Earth is to its tipping points: