Natural Disasters
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You Asked: Is There a Community Prepared To Withstand a Wildfire?
A Palisades resident lost her home. Now she wants to know what model she and her neighbors should follow as they rebuild to be more climate resilient.
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When Knowledge Travels: Translating Climate Awareness Into Action
A global partnership between the Columbia Climate School and UNICEF leaders is building climate knowledge and capacity to protect more than a billion children worldwide.
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Accounting for Compounding Climate Events in Emergency Management
Climate researchers Marco Tedesco and David Sathuluri reflect on how a single week of heat, smoke and flooding exposed the vulnerability of NYC.
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Wiring the Spirit’s House
Lamont scientists Terry Plank and Einat Lev worked with partners in Chile to install a new suite of sensors on the summit of Villarrica, bringing real-time monitoring to one of Chile’s most active volcanoes.
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Pacific Ocean Pattern Helps Explain Diverging Wildfire Trends in U.S. and Australia
Two of the world’s most fire-prone regions have followed strikingly different wildfire trajectories despite both experiencing a warming climate.
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What NYC Got Right During the Wildfire Smoke Emergency, According to an Expert
Atmospheric chemist V. Faye McNeill explains our new, smoky normal—and how to stay safe.
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Hawaii’s Compounding Climate Crisis Exposes Systemic Failures
Hawaii’s March 2026 flooding exposed more than damaged roads and homes. True recovery must prioritize local needs and long-term preparedness.
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Wildfire Smoke Returns: What to Know About This Week’s Air Quality
Air pollution expert Dan Westervelt discusses this summer’s wildfires and resulting air quality in New York City and beyond.
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Study Reveals How Gas Bubbles Shaped Kīlauea’s 2018 Lava Flow
New research shows that gas bubbles played a central role in controlling how fast and far the lava traveled, and that lava flow models need to account for bubbles to more accurately forecast where lava will stop.

You Asked invites you to share your most pressing questions about climate, science, and sustainability. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School experts will respond with clear, evidence-based answers. Pose your questions and story ideas!
