State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate142

  • 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.

  • Where Is All That Carbon Dioxide Going?

    Where Is All That Carbon Dioxide Going?

    Concurrent with the announcement that human carbon emissions reached a new peak this year, Galen McKinley, a researcher at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, discusses the difficulties of tracking the sources and destinations of carbon dioxide.

  • Could New Nuclear Reactors Power America’s Low-Carbon Future?

    Could New Nuclear Reactors Power America’s Low-Carbon Future?

    A documentary featuring Earth Institute scientists suggests next-generation reactors could be a safe and clean way to replace fossil fuels.

  • Flying is Easy, Just Think Happy Thoughts…

    Flying is Easy, Just Think Happy Thoughts…

    For scientists mapping Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, data collection flights require a demanding schedule: The day starts at 4am and sometimes continues throughout the night.

  • Scott Pruitt’s Attack on Scientists Serving on EPA Advisory Boards is Illegal

    Scott Pruitt’s Attack on Scientists Serving on EPA Advisory Boards is Illegal

    Pruitt’s policy runs counter to existing conflict-of-interests law, and is on its face arbitrary and capricious.

  • National Climate Report: Q&A With Authors

    National Climate Report: Q&A With Authors

    Every four years Congress is provided with a state-of-the-art report on the impacts of climate change on the United States. The next National Climate Assessment is scheduled for 2018, but its scientific findings are scheduled to be published today. Here, two of its authors explain what to expect.

  • Settling in at McMurdo Station in Antarctica

    Settling in at McMurdo Station in Antarctica

    Even though our tent is within a short drive of McMurdo (a small town with most of the safety and logistical equipment on the entire continent), we still need to prepare ourselves for sudden, extreme weather. Every time we leave the relative safety of McMurdo, we carry our Extreme Cold Weather equipment and our tent…

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • 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.

  • Where Is All That Carbon Dioxide Going?

    Where Is All That Carbon Dioxide Going?

    Concurrent with the announcement that human carbon emissions reached a new peak this year, Galen McKinley, a researcher at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, discusses the difficulties of tracking the sources and destinations of carbon dioxide.

  • Could New Nuclear Reactors Power America’s Low-Carbon Future?

    Could New Nuclear Reactors Power America’s Low-Carbon Future?

    A documentary featuring Earth Institute scientists suggests next-generation reactors could be a safe and clean way to replace fossil fuels.

  • Flying is Easy, Just Think Happy Thoughts…

    Flying is Easy, Just Think Happy Thoughts…

    For scientists mapping Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, data collection flights require a demanding schedule: The day starts at 4am and sometimes continues throughout the night.

  • Scott Pruitt’s Attack on Scientists Serving on EPA Advisory Boards is Illegal

    Scott Pruitt’s Attack on Scientists Serving on EPA Advisory Boards is Illegal

    Pruitt’s policy runs counter to existing conflict-of-interests law, and is on its face arbitrary and capricious.

  • National Climate Report: Q&A With Authors

    National Climate Report: Q&A With Authors

    Every four years Congress is provided with a state-of-the-art report on the impacts of climate change on the United States. The next National Climate Assessment is scheduled for 2018, but its scientific findings are scheduled to be published today. Here, two of its authors explain what to expect.

  • Settling in at McMurdo Station in Antarctica

    Settling in at McMurdo Station in Antarctica

    Even though our tent is within a short drive of McMurdo (a small town with most of the safety and logistical equipment on the entire continent), we still need to prepare ourselves for sudden, extreme weather. Every time we leave the relative safety of McMurdo, we carry our Extreme Cold Weather equipment and our tent…