State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earth Sciences123

  • How Plants Could Impact Global Warming

    How Plants Could Impact Global Warming

    Biodiversity influences climate at local, regional and global levels, yet most climate models do not take biodiversity into consideration because its variables and effects are too diverse and complex to compute.

  • Glacial deposits: A clue to reconstructing the history of the Antarctic ice sheet

    Glacial deposits: A clue to reconstructing the history of the Antarctic ice sheet

    Having been joined by a fifth team member, Tim Flood from St Norbert College, our “Antarctica Secrets” team sets out to a new field site near Mount Achernar.

  • Wild Oysters Deemed ‘Functionally Extinct’

    Wild Oysters Deemed ‘Functionally Extinct’

    A recent Valentine’s Day-inspired article in the Grist pointed out that oysters are the only delicacy that enhances The Mood and water quality. Don’t get too excited, though: a new study published this week in BioScience revealed that oysters are “functionally extinct” in many parts of the world where they were once abundant, and nothing…

  • How to cross a crevasse zone on the Antarctic ice sheet

    How to cross a crevasse zone on the Antarctic ice sheet

    Back at the Central Transantarctic Mountain camp, our ‘Antarctica Secrets’ team figures out the best way to cross a crevasse zone to get to their next field camp at Mt Achernar.

  • In the Arctic More Than Elsewhere, Things Are Heating Up

    In the Arctic More Than Elsewhere, Things Are Heating Up

    According to a new international study, water flowing into the Arctic Ocean from the North Atlantic is the warmest it has been in the past 2,000 years.

  • Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Our Antarctica Secret’s team starts collecting samples at their first remote field site at Mt Howe, Transantarctic Mountains, about 180 miles from the South Pole.

  • Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Our field team flies from McMurdo to their first base camp, named CTAM, which stands for Central Transantarctic Mountains. This camp is set up by the US National Science Foundation every 5 to 10 years, with input from scientists on the cutting edge research that can be done in the region.

  • Michigan Case Demonstrates Growing Importance of Courts for Water Issues

    Michigan Case Demonstrates Growing Importance of Courts for Water Issues

    According to a recent report by Deutsche Bank, the number of US lawsuits related directly or indirectly to climate change rose by nearly 300% between 2009 and 2010. In addition to cases focused more broadly on climate change, there have also been a growing number of cases focused specifically on water regulations. Examples of the…

  • Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Mike Kaplan and Nicole Bader, first-timers in Antarctica, report from taking their basic survival training at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, aka ‘Happy Campers’

Banner: Climate Week NYC 2025, September 21-28, 2025
  • How Plants Could Impact Global Warming

    How Plants Could Impact Global Warming

    Biodiversity influences climate at local, regional and global levels, yet most climate models do not take biodiversity into consideration because its variables and effects are too diverse and complex to compute.

  • Glacial deposits: A clue to reconstructing the history of the Antarctic ice sheet

    Glacial deposits: A clue to reconstructing the history of the Antarctic ice sheet

    Having been joined by a fifth team member, Tim Flood from St Norbert College, our “Antarctica Secrets” team sets out to a new field site near Mount Achernar.

  • Wild Oysters Deemed ‘Functionally Extinct’

    Wild Oysters Deemed ‘Functionally Extinct’

    A recent Valentine’s Day-inspired article in the Grist pointed out that oysters are the only delicacy that enhances The Mood and water quality. Don’t get too excited, though: a new study published this week in BioScience revealed that oysters are “functionally extinct” in many parts of the world where they were once abundant, and nothing…

  • How to cross a crevasse zone on the Antarctic ice sheet

    How to cross a crevasse zone on the Antarctic ice sheet

    Back at the Central Transantarctic Mountain camp, our ‘Antarctica Secrets’ team figures out the best way to cross a crevasse zone to get to their next field camp at Mt Achernar.

  • In the Arctic More Than Elsewhere, Things Are Heating Up

    In the Arctic More Than Elsewhere, Things Are Heating Up

    According to a new international study, water flowing into the Arctic Ocean from the North Atlantic is the warmest it has been in the past 2,000 years.

  • Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Our Antarctica Secret’s team starts collecting samples at their first remote field site at Mt Howe, Transantarctic Mountains, about 180 miles from the South Pole.

  • Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Our field team flies from McMurdo to their first base camp, named CTAM, which stands for Central Transantarctic Mountains. This camp is set up by the US National Science Foundation every 5 to 10 years, with input from scientists on the cutting edge research that can be done in the region.

  • Michigan Case Demonstrates Growing Importance of Courts for Water Issues

    Michigan Case Demonstrates Growing Importance of Courts for Water Issues

    According to a recent report by Deutsche Bank, the number of US lawsuits related directly or indirectly to climate change rose by nearly 300% between 2009 and 2010. In addition to cases focused more broadly on climate change, there have also been a growing number of cases focused specifically on water regulations. Examples of the…

  • Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Mike Kaplan and Nicole Bader, first-timers in Antarctica, report from taking their basic survival training at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, aka ‘Happy Campers’