State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Natural Disasters40

  • How Will Climate Change Impact Shelter?

    How Will Climate Change Impact Shelter?

    In this video, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory researchers Robin Bell, Radley Horton, and Adam Sobel explain their research and how it can help improve adaptation practices and make our homes, livelihoods, and the systems we rely on more resilient to extreme weather and sea level rise.

  • Defining and Predicting Heat Waves in Bangladesh

    Defining and Predicting Heat Waves in Bangladesh

    New research shows that in Bangladesh, heat wave predictability exists from a few days to several weeks in advance, which could save thousands of lives.

  • New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    Scientists probing under the seafloor off Alaska have mapped a geologic structure that they say signals potential for a major tsunami in an area that normally would be considered benign.

  • Project Uses Satellites for Rapid Assessment of Flood Response Costs

    Project Uses Satellites for Rapid Assessment of Flood Response Costs

    Overall global losses from natural disasters such as floods, landslides or earthquakes amount to about $300 billion annually. A rapid and early response is key to immediately address the loss of human life, property, infrastructure and business activity.

  • Rising Temperatures Lead to Increased Fire Risk in Indonesia

    Rising Temperatures Lead to Increased Fire Risk in Indonesia

    A new paper shows that rising temperatures have increased the risk of fires even during non-drought years in Indonesia, possibly making mild fire seasons in the country a thing of the past.

  • Oroville Dam Crisis is a Call to Action on U.S. Water Infrastructure

    Oroville Dam Crisis is a Call to Action on U.S. Water Infrastructure

    Columbia Water Center director Upmanu Lall suggests that we see the Oroville crisis as a call to action to evaluate and address the challenges facing the nation’s dam infrastructure.

  • Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    The final phase of our revolves around visiting chars, sandy river islands, on the Ganges and Brahmaputra River. Chris and Dan are making measurements of soil salinity and moisture and spectra of the soil reflectance, while Liz and I collected samples for OSL dating and understanding the OSL properties of the river sediments here. This…

  • Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    After helping Chris an Dan with soil salinity and reflectance measurement, Humayun, Liz and I moved onto the smaller M.B. Mewl to sail through the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to service our GPS station at Hiron Point.

  • Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Humayun, Liz and I headed to Khulna in SW Bangladesh a day after Chris and Dan. Along the way, we stopped at our sediment compaction meter for surveying and removing the GPS, and getting feasted by the family that hosts the system.

Banner with images representing environmental issues and text "You Asked: Our Scientists and Experts Answer Your Burning Questions."

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!

  • How Will Climate Change Impact Shelter?

    How Will Climate Change Impact Shelter?

    In this video, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory researchers Robin Bell, Radley Horton, and Adam Sobel explain their research and how it can help improve adaptation practices and make our homes, livelihoods, and the systems we rely on more resilient to extreme weather and sea level rise.

  • Defining and Predicting Heat Waves in Bangladesh

    Defining and Predicting Heat Waves in Bangladesh

    New research shows that in Bangladesh, heat wave predictability exists from a few days to several weeks in advance, which could save thousands of lives.

  • New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    Scientists probing under the seafloor off Alaska have mapped a geologic structure that they say signals potential for a major tsunami in an area that normally would be considered benign.

  • Project Uses Satellites for Rapid Assessment of Flood Response Costs

    Project Uses Satellites for Rapid Assessment of Flood Response Costs

    Overall global losses from natural disasters such as floods, landslides or earthquakes amount to about $300 billion annually. A rapid and early response is key to immediately address the loss of human life, property, infrastructure and business activity.

  • Rising Temperatures Lead to Increased Fire Risk in Indonesia

    Rising Temperatures Lead to Increased Fire Risk in Indonesia

    A new paper shows that rising temperatures have increased the risk of fires even during non-drought years in Indonesia, possibly making mild fire seasons in the country a thing of the past.

  • Oroville Dam Crisis is a Call to Action on U.S. Water Infrastructure

    Oroville Dam Crisis is a Call to Action on U.S. Water Infrastructure

    Columbia Water Center director Upmanu Lall suggests that we see the Oroville crisis as a call to action to evaluate and address the challenges facing the nation’s dam infrastructure.

  • Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    The final phase of our revolves around visiting chars, sandy river islands, on the Ganges and Brahmaputra River. Chris and Dan are making measurements of soil salinity and moisture and spectra of the soil reflectance, while Liz and I collected samples for OSL dating and understanding the OSL properties of the river sediments here. This…

  • Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    After helping Chris an Dan with soil salinity and reflectance measurement, Humayun, Liz and I moved onto the smaller M.B. Mewl to sail through the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to service our GPS station at Hiron Point.

  • Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Humayun, Liz and I headed to Khulna in SW Bangladesh a day after Chris and Dan. Along the way, we stopped at our sediment compaction meter for surveying and removing the GPS, and getting feasted by the family that hosts the system.