Press Release
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A New Study Explains How Carbon Dioxide Cools the Upper Atmosphere—and Warms Earth Below
Researchers have solved a long-standing atmospheric puzzle: how rising carbon dioxide cools the stratosphere even as it warms Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere.
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Lamont Paleoclimatologist Maureen Raymo Receives the 2026 Nemmers Prize
Raymo received the award for her pioneering development of hypotheses that explain climate change across Earth’s history, and her educational leadership in the Earth system sciences.
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In Eastern Africa, the Cradle of Humankind Is Tearing Apart
Researchers have found that Earth’s underlying crust in the Turkana Rift region has been significantly thinned, presaging Africa’s eventual breakup—and with that finding, the researchers offer a new perspective on Turkana’s fossil record of human evolution.
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Tree Rings Reveal Hurricane Impacts and Emerging Sea-Level Stress in Coastal Forests
New research suggests that trees largely recover from storms within two years, and that coastal trees may be stressed from sea-level rise.
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Sinking Land Drives Hidden Flood Risk in One of the World’s Most Populated Regions
A new study finds that land subsidence is outpacing ocean-driven sea-level rise along the northern coastline of Java Island, Indonesia.
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A Complicated Future for a Methane-Cleansing Molecule
A new model shows how levels of the “atmosphere’s detergent” may rise and fall in response to climate change.
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New Study Reveals Hidden “Chemical Currency” Fueling the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle
This research identifies a diverse set of molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and help drive Earth’s carbon cycle.
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Earth’s “Missing” Billion Years: Study Links the Great Unconformity to Early Tectonics
New findings shed light on a widespread gap in the geologic record, where more than a billion years of Earth’s history appear to have been erased.

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

