State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate142

  • American Geophysical Union 2017: Key Events From the Earth Institute

    American Geophysical Union 2017: Key Events From the Earth Institute

    A chronological guide to key talks and other events presented by Columbia University’s Earth Institute at the American Geophysical Union 2017 meeting. 

  • Spring 2018 Earth Institute Undergraduate Research Assistant Opportunities

    By Chandler Precht The Earth Institute, Columbia University, is offering undergraduate students with research assistant opportunities during the spring 2018 semester. Undergraduates from Columbia and Barnard will be able to serve as research assistants on research projects related to sustainable development and the environment with distinguished faculty and researchers at the cutting edge of this…

  • Spring 2018 Earth Institute Internship Opportunities

    By Chandler Precht The Earth Institute is offering undergraduate, graduate and PhD students with opportunities to intern in various departments and research centers in a variety of administration, communications and research roles. Interns work on a variety of sustainability-focused projects across The Earth Institute. These projects provide interns with hands-on workplace experience, allowing them to…

  • The Way We Were: Climate and Human Evolution

    The Way We Were: Climate and Human Evolution

    In a remote desert region around Kenya’s Lake Turkana, paleoecologist and geochemist Kevin Uno collects fossils and sediments, searching for evidence about past climate, vegetation, animals, and water. His goal: to understand how climate affected our ancestors millions of years ago.

  • Why Do Floods Sometimes Happen on Sunny Days?

    Why Do Floods Sometimes Happen on Sunny Days?

    Some towns and cities can get soaked even when the skies are dry—and these so-called sunny day floods are on the rise thanks to climate change.

  • A Bit of Sun on an Antarctic Thanksgiving

    A Bit of Sun on an Antarctic Thanksgiving

    The Rosetta team made two big accomplishments this week: Our lidar returned some beautiful 3D images of the sea ice topography, which can be used to study small details of the ice. And our own Chloe Gustafson won first place in the Antarctic Turkey Trot. She now holds the honor of being the first woman…

  • Wind, Snow and Ice: Summer in Antarctica

    Wind, Snow and Ice: Summer in Antarctica

    The theme of the past week has been the weather. Weather is of course always happening, but in the lingo of McMurdo Station, ‘weather’ means ‘bad weather.’

  • Let’s Talk About Crevasses—Deep Fractures in Antarctica’s Ice

    Let’s Talk About Crevasses—Deep Fractures in Antarctica’s Ice

    The word “crevasse” sends shivers down the spine of anyone who works on a glacier. Sometimes hundreds of feet deep and hidden beneath a thin layer of snow, these cracks have claimed the lives of many polar explorers and scientists. They also appear quite frequently in our sensors as we fly our survey flights for…

  • How Will La Niña Affect Winter in the U.S.?

    How Will La Niña Affect Winter in the U.S.?

    This phenomenon can cause major changes in climate patterns. See what’s in store for your region.

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings

  • American Geophysical Union 2017: Key Events From the Earth Institute

    American Geophysical Union 2017: Key Events From the Earth Institute

    A chronological guide to key talks and other events presented by Columbia University’s Earth Institute at the American Geophysical Union 2017 meeting. 

  • Spring 2018 Earth Institute Undergraduate Research Assistant Opportunities

    By Chandler Precht The Earth Institute, Columbia University, is offering undergraduate students with research assistant opportunities during the spring 2018 semester. Undergraduates from Columbia and Barnard will be able to serve as research assistants on research projects related to sustainable development and the environment with distinguished faculty and researchers at the cutting edge of this…

  • Spring 2018 Earth Institute Internship Opportunities

    By Chandler Precht The Earth Institute is offering undergraduate, graduate and PhD students with opportunities to intern in various departments and research centers in a variety of administration, communications and research roles. Interns work on a variety of sustainability-focused projects across The Earth Institute. These projects provide interns with hands-on workplace experience, allowing them to…

  • The Way We Were: Climate and Human Evolution

    The Way We Were: Climate and Human Evolution

    In a remote desert region around Kenya’s Lake Turkana, paleoecologist and geochemist Kevin Uno collects fossils and sediments, searching for evidence about past climate, vegetation, animals, and water. His goal: to understand how climate affected our ancestors millions of years ago.

  • Why Do Floods Sometimes Happen on Sunny Days?

    Why Do Floods Sometimes Happen on Sunny Days?

    Some towns and cities can get soaked even when the skies are dry—and these so-called sunny day floods are on the rise thanks to climate change.

  • A Bit of Sun on an Antarctic Thanksgiving

    A Bit of Sun on an Antarctic Thanksgiving

    The Rosetta team made two big accomplishments this week: Our lidar returned some beautiful 3D images of the sea ice topography, which can be used to study small details of the ice. And our own Chloe Gustafson won first place in the Antarctic Turkey Trot. She now holds the honor of being the first woman…

  • Wind, Snow and Ice: Summer in Antarctica

    Wind, Snow and Ice: Summer in Antarctica

    The theme of the past week has been the weather. Weather is of course always happening, but in the lingo of McMurdo Station, ‘weather’ means ‘bad weather.’

  • Let’s Talk About Crevasses—Deep Fractures in Antarctica’s Ice

    Let’s Talk About Crevasses—Deep Fractures in Antarctica’s Ice

    The word “crevasse” sends shivers down the spine of anyone who works on a glacier. Sometimes hundreds of feet deep and hidden beneath a thin layer of snow, these cracks have claimed the lives of many polar explorers and scientists. They also appear quite frequently in our sensors as we fly our survey flights for…

  • How Will La Niña Affect Winter in the U.S.?

    How Will La Niña Affect Winter in the U.S.?

    This phenomenon can cause major changes in climate patterns. See what’s in store for your region.