State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Natural Disasters30

  • End of Our Fieldwork and Mandalay Hill

    End of Our Fieldwork and Mandalay Hill

    I had one last day installing seismometers with the team, then left for Mandalay. After a breakfast with colleagues, I had a free day to explore Mandalay Hill.

  • I Switch to Installing Seismometers

    I Switch to Installing Seismometers

    With the GPS done, I joined the seismologists installing 32 stations in Myanmar. We finished the preparations and then headed out to the field in three teams.

  • From Catholic Churches to Buddhist Monasteries, the Work Continued

    From Catholic Churches to Buddhist Monasteries, the Work Continued

    On the way back to Kale, we stopped at a Catholic church where one of the seismometers will be deployed.

  • Our Next Sets of GPS in Kalewa and Tedim

    Our Next Sets of GPS in Kalewa and Tedim

    To get to Kalewa we followed the Myittha River past the Kabaw Fault to the site with view of a monastery. Tedim is a long and windy drive through the mountainous Chin Hills.

  • To Kale for the First GPS Station

    To Kale for the First GPS Station

    We drove 15 hours over two days to get to Kale, our new home base. Here, we managed to build a monument and install our first GPS station in only one day. Our homemade post-driver worked amazingly well.

  • Installing GPS in Myanmar

    Installing GPS in Myanmar

    We believe the IndoBurman subduction zone is active and that there is a significant earthquake hazard in this densely populated region. We are installing GPS stations to monitor it.

  • After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    This is an opportunity to reengineer and reimagine the way toxic materials are managed.

  • We Need Community

    We Need Community

    We need to understand and empathize with our neighbors in need in order to build open, creative, generous and diverse communities.

  • When Is a Sea Wall a Good Idea?

    When Is a Sea Wall a Good Idea?

    Scientists at Columbia’s Earth Institute are using simulations to test how well different methods protect coastal areas from hurricanes and sea level rise.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • End of Our Fieldwork and Mandalay Hill

    End of Our Fieldwork and Mandalay Hill

    I had one last day installing seismometers with the team, then left for Mandalay. After a breakfast with colleagues, I had a free day to explore Mandalay Hill.

  • I Switch to Installing Seismometers

    I Switch to Installing Seismometers

    With the GPS done, I joined the seismologists installing 32 stations in Myanmar. We finished the preparations and then headed out to the field in three teams.

  • From Catholic Churches to Buddhist Monasteries, the Work Continued

    From Catholic Churches to Buddhist Monasteries, the Work Continued

    On the way back to Kale, we stopped at a Catholic church where one of the seismometers will be deployed.

  • Our Next Sets of GPS in Kalewa and Tedim

    Our Next Sets of GPS in Kalewa and Tedim

    To get to Kalewa we followed the Myittha River past the Kabaw Fault to the site with view of a monastery. Tedim is a long and windy drive through the mountainous Chin Hills.

  • To Kale for the First GPS Station

    To Kale for the First GPS Station

    We drove 15 hours over two days to get to Kale, our new home base. Here, we managed to build a monument and install our first GPS station in only one day. Our homemade post-driver worked amazingly well.

  • Installing GPS in Myanmar

    Installing GPS in Myanmar

    We believe the IndoBurman subduction zone is active and that there is a significant earthquake hazard in this densely populated region. We are installing GPS stations to monitor it.

  • After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    This is an opportunity to reengineer and reimagine the way toxic materials are managed.

  • We Need Community

    We Need Community

    We need to understand and empathize with our neighbors in need in order to build open, creative, generous and diverse communities.

  • When Is a Sea Wall a Good Idea?

    When Is a Sea Wall a Good Idea?

    Scientists at Columbia’s Earth Institute are using simulations to test how well different methods protect coastal areas from hurricanes and sea level rise.