Rupture (discontinuity, breakdown)

Brutal important change, which impacts significantly on the evolution of one or more variables of a system, or the functioning of the system itself. The break is a discontinuity (sometimes progressive, but often abrupt), whose appearance is not the result of a deliberate choice of those involved. Its significance lies in three characteristics: it may be irreversible, it surprises the actors involved, and it has large impacts on the future.