Posts
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Photo Essay: Where the Trees Meet the Tundra
Due to warming climate and increasing human exploitation, far northern forests and the tundra beyond are undergoing rapid changes. In northern Alaska, scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and other institutions are studying the responses of trees at the very edge of their range.
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Where Trees Meet Tundra, Decoding Signals of Climate Change
In northern Alaska’s Brooks Range, the earth as most of us know it comes to an end. The northern tree line-a boundary that circles all of earth’s northern landmasses for more than 8,300 miles, and forms the planet’s biggest ecological transition zone–runs through here. Scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are studying how climate…
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Climate Change Under Trump: A Q&A with Michael Gerrard
For those who favor strong action on climate change, the election of Donald Trump is creating plenty of anxiety and concern. Will Trump set our efforts to curb climate change back? How can those who are concerned about climate change best fight back?
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A Front Row Seat on the Ocean Floor
Ocean scientists are, in their hearts, explorers. Our group aboard the R/V Atlantis may be more infected with the exploration bug than most. The first goal of our expedition makes that clear: We aim to map regions of the seafloor never before seen by human eyes.
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Study Links Groundwater Changes to Fracking
Distance and Topography Play Roles in Pennsylvania
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The Domino Effect
Ice shelves can behave like dominos. When they are lined up and the first one collapses it can cause a rippling effect like dominos. We have seen this with the Larsen Ice Shelves. Named in series, the Larsen A, B and C shelves extended along the northeastern edge of the West Antarctic Peninsula, and covered…
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President-Elect Trump’s Environmental Agenda
As we face a Donald Trump administration, we must reflect on the development of environmental policy and politics of the past. Despite the skepticism that President-elect Trump could halt progress on sustainability efforts such as research and development for renewable energy, it seems that the average person values a clean and safe environment. Donald Trump…
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Rip in Crust Drives Undersea Volcanism, Says Study
Earthquakes and Violent Sounds Under the Pacific Provide Clues
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Faculty Profile: Robert S. Chen
When satellite images revealed rapid collapse of several ice shelves in Antarctica in early 2008, it triggered warning bells for Robert Chen. “My first scientific paper as a graduate student, published in 1980 and co-authored with climatologist Steve Schneider, was about the potential collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet,” says Chen. “Many believed that…
