State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate science21

  • The Domino Effect

    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…

  • A First Meeting with an Old Friend

    A First Meeting with an Old Friend

    If you have studied the impacts of climate on Antarctica you have encountered Pine Island Glacier. Tucked in at an angle under the West Antarctic Peninsula handle, this seemingly innocuous glacier has been making headlines for years as one of the fastest flowing ice stream glaciers on Earth.

  • Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities are leading the fight against climate change. Here’s what some of the most forward-looking ones are doing.

  • Year by Year, Line by Line, We Build an Image of Getz Ice Shelf

    Year by Year, Line by Line, We Build an Image of Getz Ice Shelf

    Changes in Antarctic ice have been dominated by the interaction of the ice and the ocean, and because ice shelves extend out into the water they are vulnerable to melt from the warmer ocean water. Melt can affect them in two ways, through thinning along their length and through causing a retreat of the “grounding…

  • Ancient Leaves Link Loss of Antarctic Ice to a CO2 Spike

    Ancient Leaves Link Loss of Antarctic Ice to a CO2 Spike

    Twenty-three million years ago, the Antarctic Ice Sheet began to shrink, going from an expanse larger than today’s to one about half its modern size. Ancient fossilized leaves retrieved from a lake bed in New Zealand now show for the first time that carbon dioxide levels increased dramatically over a relatively short period of time…

  • Red Flags Over the Arctic’s Future

    Red Flags Over the Arctic’s Future

    A new white paper reviews climate impacts already underway in the Arctic, and examines further changes expected to take place even if the world meets the goals of the Paris Agreement. It will be presented today at a meeting at the White House of national-level science ministers and advisors from around the world.

  • Extreme-Weather Winters Becoming More Common in U.S., Study Shows

    Extreme-Weather Winters Becoming More Common in U.S., Study Shows

    This past July was Earth’s hottest month since record keeping began, but warming isn’t the only danger climate change holds in store. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the simultaneous occurrence of extremely cold winter days in the Eastern United States and extremely warm winter days in the Western U.S., according to a…

  • As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    The heavy rains and flooding in Louisiana have been devastating. Can we attribute the severity of it to climate change? How you measure that depends on the questions you ask.

  • Symposium this Week on Climate and Adaptation

    Symposium this Week on Climate and Adaptation

    This week climate scientists from the United States and Europe will join with officials from government and international agencies at Columbia to share knowledge about climate change and strategies for adaptation in North America and the Caribbean.

Overhead view of Columbia campus with text Columbia Climate School Class Day 2026: Congratulations Graduates

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

  • The Domino Effect

    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…

  • A First Meeting with an Old Friend

    A First Meeting with an Old Friend

    If you have studied the impacts of climate on Antarctica you have encountered Pine Island Glacier. Tucked in at an angle under the West Antarctic Peninsula handle, this seemingly innocuous glacier has been making headlines for years as one of the fastest flowing ice stream glaciers on Earth.

  • Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities are leading the fight against climate change. Here’s what some of the most forward-looking ones are doing.

  • Year by Year, Line by Line, We Build an Image of Getz Ice Shelf

    Year by Year, Line by Line, We Build an Image of Getz Ice Shelf

    Changes in Antarctic ice have been dominated by the interaction of the ice and the ocean, and because ice shelves extend out into the water they are vulnerable to melt from the warmer ocean water. Melt can affect them in two ways, through thinning along their length and through causing a retreat of the “grounding…

  • Ancient Leaves Link Loss of Antarctic Ice to a CO2 Spike

    Ancient Leaves Link Loss of Antarctic Ice to a CO2 Spike

    Twenty-three million years ago, the Antarctic Ice Sheet began to shrink, going from an expanse larger than today’s to one about half its modern size. Ancient fossilized leaves retrieved from a lake bed in New Zealand now show for the first time that carbon dioxide levels increased dramatically over a relatively short period of time…

  • Red Flags Over the Arctic’s Future

    Red Flags Over the Arctic’s Future

    A new white paper reviews climate impacts already underway in the Arctic, and examines further changes expected to take place even if the world meets the goals of the Paris Agreement. It will be presented today at a meeting at the White House of national-level science ministers and advisors from around the world.

  • Extreme-Weather Winters Becoming More Common in U.S., Study Shows

    Extreme-Weather Winters Becoming More Common in U.S., Study Shows

    This past July was Earth’s hottest month since record keeping began, but warming isn’t the only danger climate change holds in store. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the simultaneous occurrence of extremely cold winter days in the Eastern United States and extremely warm winter days in the Western U.S., according to a…

  • As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    The heavy rains and flooding in Louisiana have been devastating. Can we attribute the severity of it to climate change? How you measure that depends on the questions you ask.

  • Symposium this Week on Climate and Adaptation

    Symposium this Week on Climate and Adaptation

    This week climate scientists from the United States and Europe will join with officials from government and international agencies at Columbia to share knowledge about climate change and strategies for adaptation in North America and the Caribbean.