State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Geohazards in Bangladesh5

  • Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    We replaced the GPS at Khulna University, then met some colleagues in Barisal. We continued to Khepupara and the beach at Kuakata for more installations. The beach on the Bay of Bengal is fresh water in the summer due to the enormous water discharge at the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.

  • Finishing on the Boat

    Finishing on the Boat

    Silting rivers and bad roads made it difficult to find a last site. After a successful installation and an upgrade to an existing GPS site, we left the boat for land. We then discovered the local river had washed away some of our equipment.

  • Hiron Point Once More

    Hiron Point Once More

    We sailed to Hiron Point in the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to upgrade old and install new equipment. I have been to this beautiful remote site several times before. After competing the work, we sailed for over a day to reach our next site on a primary school roof.

  • From Sonatola to the Sundarbans

    From Sonatola to the Sundarbans

    By working a 16-hour day, we managed to get both GPS and SETs completed at our first field site. We then sailed into the Sundarban Mangrove Forest, the world’s largest, to visit an existing site and make measurements.

  • Delays in Dhaka

    Delays in Dhaka

    I am back in Bangladesh for a new project examining the balance between sea level rise, land subsidence and sedimentation. We will be installing, repairing or upgrading equipment to measure changes to the landscape.

  • 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.

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

  • Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    We replaced the GPS at Khulna University, then met some colleagues in Barisal. We continued to Khepupara and the beach at Kuakata for more installations. The beach on the Bay of Bengal is fresh water in the summer due to the enormous water discharge at the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.

  • Finishing on the Boat

    Finishing on the Boat

    Silting rivers and bad roads made it difficult to find a last site. After a successful installation and an upgrade to an existing GPS site, we left the boat for land. We then discovered the local river had washed away some of our equipment.

  • Hiron Point Once More

    Hiron Point Once More

    We sailed to Hiron Point in the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to upgrade old and install new equipment. I have been to this beautiful remote site several times before. After competing the work, we sailed for over a day to reach our next site on a primary school roof.

  • From Sonatola to the Sundarbans

    From Sonatola to the Sundarbans

    By working a 16-hour day, we managed to get both GPS and SETs completed at our first field site. We then sailed into the Sundarban Mangrove Forest, the world’s largest, to visit an existing site and make measurements.

  • Delays in Dhaka

    Delays in Dhaka

    I am back in Bangladesh for a new project examining the balance between sea level rise, land subsidence and sedimentation. We will be installing, repairing or upgrading equipment to measure changes to the landscape.

  • 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.