State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earth Sciences123

  • Switchyard Project: In Transit…Part 1

    Switchyard Project: In Transit…Part 1

    Bags are packed and ready to go. April 25, 2011: We left Lamont in the afternoon to Schenectady, close to Scotia where the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard is located that will fly us up to CFS Alert. That unit provides extensive logistical support for all U.S. science operations in the arctic and…

  • Switchyard Project: Tracking the Arctic Seascape

    Switchyard Project: Tracking the Arctic Seascape

    Arctic summer sea ice is declining rapidly: a trend with enormous implications for global weather and climate. The multi-year Arctic Switchyard project will seek to distinguish the effects of natural climate variability from those of human-induced climate change.

  • A 30 year history of measuring Greenland’s Breathtaking Vistas

    A 30 year history of measuring Greenland’s Breathtaking Vistas

    We flew our last science flight out of Kangerlussuaq Base (western Greenland) over the Geikie Peninsula, on the east coast of Greenland. This high priority mission had not been completed prior to this because of difficult weather in the peninsula area. The mission focus was to determine how the surface ice elevation and ice thickness…

  • Soaring Through the Southeastern Greenland Outlet Glaciers

    Soaring Through the Southeastern Greenland Outlet Glaciers

    Our mission was to collect some long survey lines down the center of some of Greenland’s most spectacular southeastern glaciers. The study design would require us to complete a transect across the Greenland ice sheet, fortunately at a location when the country undergoes a noticeable taper. Starting at Kangerlussuaq, our base on Greenland’s west coast,…

  • “You are Misinformed”–Planning for Flood Regime Change

    “You are Misinformed”–Planning for Flood Regime Change

    Lately a lot of people are wondering just how helpful the 100-year flood benchmark really is, as places seem to be getting hit by 100-year floods all the time.

  • Web Diagramming Rocks: Paper Named Among 10 Best

    Web Diagramming Rocks: Paper Named Among 10 Best

    The researchers found the diagramming helped students form “knowledge networks” that led them to a better understanding of the material.

  • Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.

  • It takes a lot of instruments to collect ice measurements!

    It takes a lot of instruments to collect ice measurements!

    The Operation IceBridge (OIB) mission is a truly collaborative project with several agencies and multiple instruments involved in collecting independent measurements. The data is then analyzed concurrently to develop an understanding of the ice processes underway. The measurement of sea ice is an excellent example of how multiple methods of measurement are needed to collect…

  • Jakobshavn Glacier continues to provide surprises!

    Jakobshavn Glacier continues to provide surprises!

    We have moved south! One of the many challenges of our Greenland survey is the need to switch bases in the midst of the season since Thule Air Force Base also serves as a staging location for a major resupply mission for many of the Arctic outposts.  The whole set up has to be packed…

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • Switchyard Project: In Transit…Part 1

    Switchyard Project: In Transit…Part 1

    Bags are packed and ready to go. April 25, 2011: We left Lamont in the afternoon to Schenectady, close to Scotia where the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard is located that will fly us up to CFS Alert. That unit provides extensive logistical support for all U.S. science operations in the arctic and…

  • Switchyard Project: Tracking the Arctic Seascape

    Switchyard Project: Tracking the Arctic Seascape

    Arctic summer sea ice is declining rapidly: a trend with enormous implications for global weather and climate. The multi-year Arctic Switchyard project will seek to distinguish the effects of natural climate variability from those of human-induced climate change.

  • A 30 year history of measuring Greenland’s Breathtaking Vistas

    A 30 year history of measuring Greenland’s Breathtaking Vistas

    We flew our last science flight out of Kangerlussuaq Base (western Greenland) over the Geikie Peninsula, on the east coast of Greenland. This high priority mission had not been completed prior to this because of difficult weather in the peninsula area. The mission focus was to determine how the surface ice elevation and ice thickness…

  • Soaring Through the Southeastern Greenland Outlet Glaciers

    Soaring Through the Southeastern Greenland Outlet Glaciers

    Our mission was to collect some long survey lines down the center of some of Greenland’s most spectacular southeastern glaciers. The study design would require us to complete a transect across the Greenland ice sheet, fortunately at a location when the country undergoes a noticeable taper. Starting at Kangerlussuaq, our base on Greenland’s west coast,…

  • “You are Misinformed”–Planning for Flood Regime Change

    “You are Misinformed”–Planning for Flood Regime Change

    Lately a lot of people are wondering just how helpful the 100-year flood benchmark really is, as places seem to be getting hit by 100-year floods all the time.

  • Web Diagramming Rocks: Paper Named Among 10 Best

    Web Diagramming Rocks: Paper Named Among 10 Best

    The researchers found the diagramming helped students form “knowledge networks” that led them to a better understanding of the material.

  • Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.

  • It takes a lot of instruments to collect ice measurements!

    It takes a lot of instruments to collect ice measurements!

    The Operation IceBridge (OIB) mission is a truly collaborative project with several agencies and multiple instruments involved in collecting independent measurements. The data is then analyzed concurrently to develop an understanding of the ice processes underway. The measurement of sea ice is an excellent example of how multiple methods of measurement are needed to collect…

  • Jakobshavn Glacier continues to provide surprises!

    Jakobshavn Glacier continues to provide surprises!

    We have moved south! One of the many challenges of our Greenland survey is the need to switch bases in the midst of the season since Thule Air Force Base also serves as a staging location for a major resupply mission for many of the Arctic outposts.  The whole set up has to be packed…