Systemic collapse emergence from climate-induced perturbations in transportation networks.

Rainfall-induced disruptions in railway networks occur above a critical rainfall strength, causing local and system-wide failures in real-world transportation systems.

• Why it matters: Understanding how transportation networks respond to meteorological events is vital for predicting and mitigating infrastructure disruptions, especially as climate change may increase such vulnerabilities.
• What they did: A coupled model was developed to simulate the dynamics of transportation systems and external rainfall fields, analyzing the impact of rainfall on railway networks and identifying local weaknesses.
• The result: The study reveals that localized perturbations expose global infrastructure vulnerabilities, enabling assessment of societal risks and supporting the analysis of criticalities intensified by climate change.