Cascade effect

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A Cascade Effect is an unforeseen chain of events due to an act affecting a system. If there is a possibility that the cascade effect will have a negative impact on the system it is possible to analyse the effects with a consequence/impact analysis. Cascade effects are commonly visualised in tree structures, so-called event trees.

Cascade effects seen in the perspective of space travelling are theoretical possibilities that "space junk" or a satellite destroyed by a meteor will send debris throughout the orbits of most telecommunication satellites destroying them in the process and subsequently sending that debris into all possible orbits, destroying everything in orbit around the earth. It is theorized if this occurs, space flight beyond Earth will become very difficult if not impossible.

There is also an ecological definition of cascade effects.