An enormous tsunami makes its way to the streets of New York City, causing havoc and destruction. While cinematic, this scene can be used to show the damage that can result from a natural disaster such as a tsunami.

Jack digitally recreates the thermal cycle of the storm and notes that it is pulling cool air from the upper troposphere. He models the cycle to gain such insights and learn that it is not an isolated incident.

A team of scientists are drilling on the ice shelf and collecting samples of ice to analyze its content. While one of the scientists is drilling, the ice shelf starts to break apart and threatens his life; however, he is rescued by his colleagues. One of the scientists states that the whole shelf is breaking off.

Sam and two of his colleagues are on their way to an academic conference. Sam is afraid of flying, and during their flight, they experience high turbulence, which visibly concerns Sam. Passengers are instructed to stay in their seats and wear their seatbelts until the plane is out of the turbulence. The turbulence is so bad that luggage falls out of the overhead compartments.

Jack describes the ancient climate shift known as the Younger Dryas. He states that, as the world was coming out of the last glacial period, melting ice sheets added so much freshwater to the Atlantic Ocean that certain ocean circulation patterns shut down. Since thermohaline circulation is a major source of heat for the surfaces of continents, the globe was plunged back into an ice age.