State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earth Sciences61

  • Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    When scientists say “research cruise,” they aren’t talking about sunny afternoons of shuffleboard and margaritas on deck. Life aboard a research vessel means tight spaces, few amenities, and long workdays.

  • Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Bridgit’s first mission with the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry was a rousing success, including locating a patch of seafloor where methane is bubbling up.

  • When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    Bridgit’s research training cruise started with a fundamental lesson of ocean science: Science at sea requires constant adaptation. Morning fog meant rewriting dive plans and reconsidering priorities.

  • Going Deep for Science

    Going Deep for Science

    Bridgit Boulahanis, a marine geophysics graduate student at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, prepares to head out on her first research cruise exploring the seafloor with underwater vehicles.

  • New Group Takes On Massive Computing Needs of Big Data

    New Group Takes On Massive Computing Needs of Big Data

    The sheer number of observations now streaming from land, sea, air and space has outpaced the ability of most computers to process it. The Data Science Institute’s newest working group —Frontiers in Computing Systems—will try to address some of the bottlenecks facing scientists working with these and other massive data sets.

  • New Study Upends a Theory of How Earth’s Mantle Flows

    New Study Upends a Theory of How Earth’s Mantle Flows

    A new study carried out on the floor of Pacific Ocean provides the most detailed view yet of how the earth’s mantle flows beneath the ocean’s tectonic plates.

  • Science And Sustainability Management: 20 Years of Columbia’s Earth Institute

    This fall, Columbia University’s Earth Institute will mark its 20th anniversary. There were two central ideas that animated the creation of this university-wide institute. The first was to promote basic understanding of earth system science, and the second was to apply that knowledge to decisions made by governments and businesses around the world.

  • Massive Landslide Detected in Glacier Bay’s Fragile Mountains

    Massive Landslide Detected in Glacier Bay’s Fragile Mountains

    A 4,000-foot-high mountainside collapsed in Glacier Bay National Park this week in a massive landslide that spread debris for miles across the glacier below. Scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are studying it to improve understanding of landslide risks.

  • Photo Essay: Seeking Humanity’s Roots

    Photo Essay: Seeking Humanity’s Roots

    East Africa’s rift valley is considered by many to be the cradle of humanity. In the Turkana region of northwest Kenya, researchers Christopher Lepre and Tanzhuo Liu of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are cooperating with colleagues to study questions of human evolution, from the creation of the earliest stone tools to climate swings that…

Overhead view of Columbia campus with text Columbia Climate School Class Day 2026: Congratulations Graduates

Congratulations to our Columbia Climate School Class of 2026 and all of our 2026 Columbia University graduates! Learn more about our May 15 Climate School Class Day celebration. 💙 #Columbia2026 #ColumbiaClimate2026

  • Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    When scientists say “research cruise,” they aren’t talking about sunny afternoons of shuffleboard and margaritas on deck. Life aboard a research vessel means tight spaces, few amenities, and long workdays.

  • Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Bridgit’s first mission with the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry was a rousing success, including locating a patch of seafloor where methane is bubbling up.

  • When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    Bridgit’s research training cruise started with a fundamental lesson of ocean science: Science at sea requires constant adaptation. Morning fog meant rewriting dive plans and reconsidering priorities.

  • Going Deep for Science

    Going Deep for Science

    Bridgit Boulahanis, a marine geophysics graduate student at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, prepares to head out on her first research cruise exploring the seafloor with underwater vehicles.

  • New Group Takes On Massive Computing Needs of Big Data

    New Group Takes On Massive Computing Needs of Big Data

    The sheer number of observations now streaming from land, sea, air and space has outpaced the ability of most computers to process it. The Data Science Institute’s newest working group —Frontiers in Computing Systems—will try to address some of the bottlenecks facing scientists working with these and other massive data sets.

  • New Study Upends a Theory of How Earth’s Mantle Flows

    New Study Upends a Theory of How Earth’s Mantle Flows

    A new study carried out on the floor of Pacific Ocean provides the most detailed view yet of how the earth’s mantle flows beneath the ocean’s tectonic plates.

  • Science And Sustainability Management: 20 Years of Columbia’s Earth Institute

    This fall, Columbia University’s Earth Institute will mark its 20th anniversary. There were two central ideas that animated the creation of this university-wide institute. The first was to promote basic understanding of earth system science, and the second was to apply that knowledge to decisions made by governments and businesses around the world.

  • Massive Landslide Detected in Glacier Bay’s Fragile Mountains

    Massive Landslide Detected in Glacier Bay’s Fragile Mountains

    A 4,000-foot-high mountainside collapsed in Glacier Bay National Park this week in a massive landslide that spread debris for miles across the glacier below. Scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are studying it to improve understanding of landslide risks.

  • Photo Essay: Seeking Humanity’s Roots

    Photo Essay: Seeking Humanity’s Roots

    East Africa’s rift valley is considered by many to be the cradle of humanity. In the Turkana region of northwest Kenya, researchers Christopher Lepre and Tanzhuo Liu of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are cooperating with colleagues to study questions of human evolution, from the creation of the earliest stone tools to climate swings that…