Breaks, Ruptures, Disruptions, Discontinuities

Abrupt, major changes in the nature or direction of a trend. “Discontinuities are those situations [...] where over time and extending beyond single events, change is rapid and fundamentally alters the previous pathways or expected direction of policies, events and planning regimes. [...] when discontinuities occur in society and government, the changes tend to be more significant because they can alter so many other domains.”