State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earth Sciences51

  • Transition to Seismology Scouting

    Transition to Seismology Scouting

    As we finished scouting and installing the GPS stations, we started to assist the seismology team in getting permission to install there instruments in Tea Estates.

  • Finishing the GPS Scouting

    Finishing the GPS Scouting

    We drove through the hills of Sylhet passed rice fields and tea plantations, and through woods looking for appropriate spots to install our GPS systems.

  • Primary Schools to the Rescue

    Primary Schools to the Rescue

    Up ahead was a school, perfect for a GPS installation. Schools proved to be the best sites in the hills, which we covered in either tea plantations or woods.

  • Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    From our base in Srimongal, now came the challenging work of finding appropriate locations to install the GPS. It requires a combination of the right tectonic setting and reinforced concrete buildings.

  • Fellowship of the Seismometers

    Fellowship of the Seismometers

    I am back in Bangladesh to start deployment of seismometers and GPS for a large new project that crosses 3 countries: Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

  • Live from Antarctica: Scientists #TakeoverNSF

    Live from Antarctica: Scientists #TakeoverNSF

    On January 31 at 1:00 p.m. EST, Lamont-Doherty’s Hugh Ducklow and his colleagues will use National Science Foundation social media to discuss their research on Antarctic ecology.

  • What Would Happen if the Earth Were Actually Flat?

    What Would Happen if the Earth Were Actually Flat?

    You could say goodbye to the atmosphere and GPS navigation, to start.

  • Improving Tropical Cyclone Risk Assessment

    Improving Tropical Cyclone Risk Assessment

    Chia-Ying Lee, a scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, studies the structure and intensity evolution of tropical cyclones and how these are influenced by climate change.

  • Why Thawing Permafrost Matters

    Why Thawing Permafrost Matters

    As the Arctic warms, the unfreezing of permafrost poses a threat to the planet.

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Transition to Seismology Scouting

    Transition to Seismology Scouting

    As we finished scouting and installing the GPS stations, we started to assist the seismology team in getting permission to install there instruments in Tea Estates.

  • Finishing the GPS Scouting

    Finishing the GPS Scouting

    We drove through the hills of Sylhet passed rice fields and tea plantations, and through woods looking for appropriate spots to install our GPS systems.

  • Primary Schools to the Rescue

    Primary Schools to the Rescue

    Up ahead was a school, perfect for a GPS installation. Schools proved to be the best sites in the hills, which we covered in either tea plantations or woods.

  • Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    From our base in Srimongal, now came the challenging work of finding appropriate locations to install the GPS. It requires a combination of the right tectonic setting and reinforced concrete buildings.

  • Fellowship of the Seismometers

    Fellowship of the Seismometers

    I am back in Bangladesh to start deployment of seismometers and GPS for a large new project that crosses 3 countries: Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

  • Live from Antarctica: Scientists #TakeoverNSF

    Live from Antarctica: Scientists #TakeoverNSF

    On January 31 at 1:00 p.m. EST, Lamont-Doherty’s Hugh Ducklow and his colleagues will use National Science Foundation social media to discuss their research on Antarctic ecology.

  • What Would Happen if the Earth Were Actually Flat?

    What Would Happen if the Earth Were Actually Flat?

    You could say goodbye to the atmosphere and GPS navigation, to start.

  • Improving Tropical Cyclone Risk Assessment

    Improving Tropical Cyclone Risk Assessment

    Chia-Ying Lee, a scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, studies the structure and intensity evolution of tropical cyclones and how these are influenced by climate change.

  • Why Thawing Permafrost Matters

    Why Thawing Permafrost Matters

    As the Arctic warms, the unfreezing of permafrost poses a threat to the planet.