State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate science25

  • Come Aboard: A Look at the R/V Marcus Langseth

    Come Aboard: A Look at the R/V Marcus Langseth

    A new video produced by Columbia University tells the story of what the research vessel Marcus G. Langseth is all about.

  • Anatomy of an ‘Ice Station’

    Anatomy of an ‘Ice Station’

    Completing an “Ice Station” means collecting samples over a wide range of Arctic water and ice conditions. Each station means a major orchestration of people and resources.

  • A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    EcoChains: Arctic Crisis is a card game for ages 10 and up that challenges players to strategically manage the Arctic marine ecosystem as climate changes, while they learn about the potential impacts of future changes.

  • Tropical Rainfall from Hours to Millennia

    Tropical Rainfall from Hours to Millennia

    Most of Earth’s rainfall occurs in a tropical zonal band that circles the Earth. Understanding how this band will responds to climate change requires us to combine time scales from hours to millennia.

  • Arctic Magic: One Research Vessel Multiplies to Hundreds

    Arctic Magic: One Research Vessel Multiplies to Hundreds

    The Arctic is magical, that we know, but when one ship multiplies to hundreds of small boats we really see the effect that Arctic magic can bring.

  • One-Two Punch of Rising Seas, Bigger Storms May Greatly Magnify U.S. East Coast Floods

    New Study Quantifies Synergy of Two Climate Hazards

  • Translating Nature’s Historians: The Tree Ring Lab Turns 40

    Translating Nature’s Historians: The Tree Ring Lab Turns 40

    In its first 40 years, the Lamont Tree Ring Lab tracked changing climates around the world, building an international reputation as a global leader in research, training and technology.

  • A Week of Firsts for This Arctic Nation

    A Week of Firsts for This Arctic Nation

    We are closing in on a week of intense focus and excitement for GEOTRACES and for the United States around the Arctic. President Obama became the first sitting president to visit Alaska, the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy with US GEOTRACES scientists completed the first unaccompanied US surface vessel transit to the North Pole, and…

  • It’s as Clear as Mud

    It’s as Clear as Mud

    For the sampling GEOTRACES is doing in the Arctic there is a specific goal of collecting just the top few dozen centimeters of sediment and the water just above it. Although the plan was good, things don’t always go perfectly.

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • Come Aboard: A Look at the R/V Marcus Langseth

    Come Aboard: A Look at the R/V Marcus Langseth

    A new video produced by Columbia University tells the story of what the research vessel Marcus G. Langseth is all about.

  • Anatomy of an ‘Ice Station’

    Anatomy of an ‘Ice Station’

    Completing an “Ice Station” means collecting samples over a wide range of Arctic water and ice conditions. Each station means a major orchestration of people and resources.

  • A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    EcoChains: Arctic Crisis is a card game for ages 10 and up that challenges players to strategically manage the Arctic marine ecosystem as climate changes, while they learn about the potential impacts of future changes.

  • Tropical Rainfall from Hours to Millennia

    Tropical Rainfall from Hours to Millennia

    Most of Earth’s rainfall occurs in a tropical zonal band that circles the Earth. Understanding how this band will responds to climate change requires us to combine time scales from hours to millennia.

  • Arctic Magic: One Research Vessel Multiplies to Hundreds

    Arctic Magic: One Research Vessel Multiplies to Hundreds

    The Arctic is magical, that we know, but when one ship multiplies to hundreds of small boats we really see the effect that Arctic magic can bring.

  • One-Two Punch of Rising Seas, Bigger Storms May Greatly Magnify U.S. East Coast Floods

    New Study Quantifies Synergy of Two Climate Hazards

  • Translating Nature’s Historians: The Tree Ring Lab Turns 40

    Translating Nature’s Historians: The Tree Ring Lab Turns 40

    In its first 40 years, the Lamont Tree Ring Lab tracked changing climates around the world, building an international reputation as a global leader in research, training and technology.

  • A Week of Firsts for This Arctic Nation

    A Week of Firsts for This Arctic Nation

    We are closing in on a week of intense focus and excitement for GEOTRACES and for the United States around the Arctic. President Obama became the first sitting president to visit Alaska, the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy with US GEOTRACES scientists completed the first unaccompanied US surface vessel transit to the North Pole, and…

  • It’s as Clear as Mud

    It’s as Clear as Mud

    For the sampling GEOTRACES is doing in the Arctic there is a specific goal of collecting just the top few dozen centimeters of sediment and the water just above it. Although the plan was good, things don’t always go perfectly.