Earth Sciences54
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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.
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NASA Finds New Way to Track Ozone By Satellite
Ozone pollution near Earth’s surface is one of the main ingredients of summertime smog. But it not directly measurable from space, due to the abundance of ozone higher in the atmosphere, which masks the surface. Now, researchers have devised a way to use satellite measurements of the precursor gases that contribute to ozone formation to…
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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.
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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…
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Giant Boulders on Bahamas Coast Are Evidence of Ancient Storms and Sea Level, Says Study
A new study says that storms of intensities seen today, combined with a few meters increase in sea level, were enough to transport coastal boulders weighing hundreds of tons more than 100,000 year ago.
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Seismodome Demonstrates the Awe-Inspiring Intensity of Earthquakes
During a show at the Hayden Planetarium, seismologist Ben Holtzman explains how he turns earthquake data into captivating sounds and visualizations.
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Improving Tools for Predicting Wildfires
During a conference at Columbia University, scientists pinpointed areas where advances in fire prediction can be made within the next decade.
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What’s a Few Days’ Delay When Preparing to Visit a 33 Million-Year-Old Ice Sheet?
With the Rosetta-Ice team delayed in New Zealand, let’s take a minute to discuss why Antarctica’s weather is so forbidding.
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Ice Sheets May Melt Rapidly in Response to Distant Volcanoes
A study of ancient eruptions shows modern ice sheets could be vulnerable.

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
