State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Press Release23

  • Fueled by Melting Glaciers, Algae Bloom Off Greenland

    Fueled by Melting Glaciers, Algae Bloom Off Greenland

    Iron particles catching a ride on glacial meltwater washed out to sea are likely fueling a recently discovered summer algal bloom off the southern coast of Greenland, according to a new study. Microalgae, also known as phytoplankton, are plant-like marine microorganisms that form the base of the food web in many parts of the ocean.…

  • As Climate Stirs Arctic Sea Ice Faster, Pollution Tags Along

    As Climate Stirs Arctic Sea Ice Faster, Pollution Tags Along

    A warming climate is not just melting the Arctic’s sea ice; it is stirring the remaining ice faster, increasing the odds that ice-rafted pollution will foul a neighboring country’s waters, says a new study.

  • Malaria Risk Increases in Ethiopian Highlands as Temperatures Climb

    Malaria Risk Increases in Ethiopian Highlands as Temperatures Climb

    The highlands of Ethiopia are home to the majority of the country’s population, the cooler climate serving as a natural buffer against malaria transmission. New data now show that increasing temperatures over the past 35 years are eroding this buffer, allowing conditions more favorable for malaria to begin climbing into highland areas.

  • Vegetation Can Strongly Alter Climate and Weather, Study Finds

    Vegetation Can Strongly Alter Climate and Weather, Study Finds

    A new analysis of global satellite observations shows that vegetation can powerfully alter atmospheric patterns that influence climate and weather.

  • Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    A new global study has found that the number of lawsuits involving climate change has tripled since 2014, with the United States leading the way.

  • Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    If U.S. sulfur dioxide emissions are cut to zero by 2100, as some researchers have projected they will be, rainfall over Africa’s Sahel region could increase up to 10 percent from 2000 levels, computer simulations suggest.

  • Water Is Streaming Across Antarctica

    Water Is Streaming Across Antarctica

    In the first such continent-wide survey, scientists have found extensive drainages of meltwater flowing over parts of Antarctica’s ice during the brief summer. Many of the newly mapped drainages are not new, but the fact they exist at all is significant; they appear to proliferate with small upswings in temperature, so warming projected for this…

  • Shifting Monsoon Altered Early Cultures in China, Study Says

    Shifting Monsoon Altered Early Cultures in China, Study Says

    The annual summer monsoon that drops rain onto East Asia has shifted dramatically, at times moving northward by as much as 400 km and doubling rainfall in that northern reach. The monsoon’s changes over the past 10,000 years likely altered the course of early human cultures in China, say the authors of a new study.

  • Scientists Say They Now Know Why Antarctic Meltwater Stays Below Ocean Surface

    Scientists Say They Now Know Why Antarctic Meltwater Stays Below Ocean Surface

    Up to now, it has been a mystery why much of the fresh water resulting from the melting of Antarctic ice shelves ends up in the depths instead of floating above saltier, denser ocean waters. Scientists working along one major ice shelf believe they have found the answer.

  • Fueled by Melting Glaciers, Algae Bloom Off Greenland

    Fueled by Melting Glaciers, Algae Bloom Off Greenland

    Iron particles catching a ride on glacial meltwater washed out to sea are likely fueling a recently discovered summer algal bloom off the southern coast of Greenland, according to a new study. Microalgae, also known as phytoplankton, are plant-like marine microorganisms that form the base of the food web in many parts of the ocean.…

  • As Climate Stirs Arctic Sea Ice Faster, Pollution Tags Along

    As Climate Stirs Arctic Sea Ice Faster, Pollution Tags Along

    A warming climate is not just melting the Arctic’s sea ice; it is stirring the remaining ice faster, increasing the odds that ice-rafted pollution will foul a neighboring country’s waters, says a new study.

  • Malaria Risk Increases in Ethiopian Highlands as Temperatures Climb

    Malaria Risk Increases in Ethiopian Highlands as Temperatures Climb

    The highlands of Ethiopia are home to the majority of the country’s population, the cooler climate serving as a natural buffer against malaria transmission. New data now show that increasing temperatures over the past 35 years are eroding this buffer, allowing conditions more favorable for malaria to begin climbing into highland areas.

  • Vegetation Can Strongly Alter Climate and Weather, Study Finds

    Vegetation Can Strongly Alter Climate and Weather, Study Finds

    A new analysis of global satellite observations shows that vegetation can powerfully alter atmospheric patterns that influence climate and weather.

  • Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    A new global study has found that the number of lawsuits involving climate change has tripled since 2014, with the United States leading the way.

  • Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    If U.S. sulfur dioxide emissions are cut to zero by 2100, as some researchers have projected they will be, rainfall over Africa’s Sahel region could increase up to 10 percent from 2000 levels, computer simulations suggest.

  • Water Is Streaming Across Antarctica

    Water Is Streaming Across Antarctica

    In the first such continent-wide survey, scientists have found extensive drainages of meltwater flowing over parts of Antarctica’s ice during the brief summer. Many of the newly mapped drainages are not new, but the fact they exist at all is significant; they appear to proliferate with small upswings in temperature, so warming projected for this…

  • Shifting Monsoon Altered Early Cultures in China, Study Says

    Shifting Monsoon Altered Early Cultures in China, Study Says

    The annual summer monsoon that drops rain onto East Asia has shifted dramatically, at times moving northward by as much as 400 km and doubling rainfall in that northern reach. The monsoon’s changes over the past 10,000 years likely altered the course of early human cultures in China, say the authors of a new study.

  • Scientists Say They Now Know Why Antarctic Meltwater Stays Below Ocean Surface

    Scientists Say They Now Know Why Antarctic Meltwater Stays Below Ocean Surface

    Up to now, it has been a mystery why much of the fresh water resulting from the melting of Antarctic ice shelves ends up in the depths instead of floating above saltier, denser ocean waters. Scientists working along one major ice shelf believe they have found the answer.