Natural Disasters
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El Niño 2026: How Big Could It Get?
The current El Niño will break all sea-surface temperature records to date and will very likely deliver unprecedented weather-related impacts around the world.
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A Career Spent Collecting Earth’s Seismic Clues
Göran Ekström tracks incidents like landslides and glacier collapse using tools once used only to monitor earthquakes.
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August Research Roundup: Select Papers
This month, we covered a long-term analysis suggesting that landfill methane emissions may be far higher than estimated, as well as new research on unexpected trends in U.S. extreme rainfall. Here are additional studies worth noting.
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The Changing Shape of Extreme Rain in the U.S.
A recent study led by researchers at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory asks how and why the spatial footprint of extreme rainfall in the U.S. has changed since 1980.
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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.
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
