State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate science38

  • Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Our Antarctica Secret’s team starts collecting samples at their first remote field site at Mt Howe, Transantarctic Mountains, about 180 miles from the South Pole.

  • Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Our field team flies from McMurdo to their first base camp, named CTAM, which stands for Central Transantarctic Mountains. This camp is set up by the US National Science Foundation every 5 to 10 years, with input from scientists on the cutting edge research that can be done in the region.

  • Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Mike Kaplan and Nicole Bader, first-timers in Antarctica, report from taking their basic survival training at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, aka ‘Happy Campers’

  • Antarctic Impressions

    Antarctic Impressions

    Kathy Licht, an “old hat” of Antarctic field research and part of the Antarctica’s Secrets team, shares her impressions how it feels to be back on the ice.

  • A beautiful day in Antarctica

    A beautiful day in Antarctica

    Having picked up their extreme weather gear in New Zealand, our Antarctica’s Secrets team lands on Antarctica and settles in McMurdo station where they will be trained and prepared for their camping trip to the Transantarctic mountains.

  • Gearing up in New Zealand

    Gearing up in New Zealand

    After months of waiting, our Antarctica’s Secrets team leaves Los Angeles on a non stop 12 hour flight to New Zealand. Their first stop is Christchurch, New Zealand, where they pick up their extreme weather clothing for the trip to Antarctica.

  • At AGU, Earth Institute’s Columbia Water Center Adds to the Abundance of Scientific Riches

    At AGU, Earth Institute’s Columbia Water Center Adds to the Abundance of Scientific Riches

    The annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting is an all-you-can-eat buffet of the most current scientific knowledge available on the planet. Name your pleasure: space, climate change, geomagnetism, nonlinear geophysics, volcanology, biogeosciences, etc. You have to be careful to indulge in moderation over the five-day event, or risk unseemly bloating. The Columbia Water Center contributed…

  • Antarctica’s Secrets

    Antarctica’s Secrets

    Understanding the historical context and dynamics of Antarctica’s massive ice sheets is critical for modeling future changes that have the potential to impact the globe, including significant contributions to sea level rise.

  • The Last Arctic Sea Ice Refuge

    The Last Arctic Sea Ice Refuge

    If climate change proceeds apace, summer sea ice in the Arctic is projected to nearly disappear by the end of this century. But a group of researchers predicts that ice will continue to collect in one small area, perhaps providing a last-ditch stand for ringed seals, polar bears and other creatures that cannot live without…

  • Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Moraines and spaghetti in the Transantarctic Mountains

    Our Antarctica Secret’s team starts collecting samples at their first remote field site at Mt Howe, Transantarctic Mountains, about 180 miles from the South Pole.

  • Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Setting up camp 184 miles from the South Pole

    Our field team flies from McMurdo to their first base camp, named CTAM, which stands for Central Transantarctic Mountains. This camp is set up by the US National Science Foundation every 5 to 10 years, with input from scientists on the cutting edge research that can be done in the region.

  • Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Survival training in Antarctica – aka Happy Camper

    Mike Kaplan and Nicole Bader, first-timers in Antarctica, report from taking their basic survival training at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, aka ‘Happy Campers’

  • Antarctic Impressions

    Antarctic Impressions

    Kathy Licht, an “old hat” of Antarctic field research and part of the Antarctica’s Secrets team, shares her impressions how it feels to be back on the ice.

  • A beautiful day in Antarctica

    A beautiful day in Antarctica

    Having picked up their extreme weather gear in New Zealand, our Antarctica’s Secrets team lands on Antarctica and settles in McMurdo station where they will be trained and prepared for their camping trip to the Transantarctic mountains.

  • Gearing up in New Zealand

    Gearing up in New Zealand

    After months of waiting, our Antarctica’s Secrets team leaves Los Angeles on a non stop 12 hour flight to New Zealand. Their first stop is Christchurch, New Zealand, where they pick up their extreme weather clothing for the trip to Antarctica.

  • At AGU, Earth Institute’s Columbia Water Center Adds to the Abundance of Scientific Riches

    At AGU, Earth Institute’s Columbia Water Center Adds to the Abundance of Scientific Riches

    The annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting is an all-you-can-eat buffet of the most current scientific knowledge available on the planet. Name your pleasure: space, climate change, geomagnetism, nonlinear geophysics, volcanology, biogeosciences, etc. You have to be careful to indulge in moderation over the five-day event, or risk unseemly bloating. The Columbia Water Center contributed…

  • Antarctica’s Secrets

    Antarctica’s Secrets

    Understanding the historical context and dynamics of Antarctica’s massive ice sheets is critical for modeling future changes that have the potential to impact the globe, including significant contributions to sea level rise.

  • The Last Arctic Sea Ice Refuge

    The Last Arctic Sea Ice Refuge

    If climate change proceeds apace, summer sea ice in the Arctic is projected to nearly disappear by the end of this century. But a group of researchers predicts that ice will continue to collect in one small area, perhaps providing a last-ditch stand for ringed seals, polar bears and other creatures that cannot live without…