Climate Archives - State of the Planet

Towering Wildfire Clouds Are Affecting the Stratosphere, and the Climate

Aircraft collecting data from clouds of smoke have revealed surprising effects of wildfires on the ground.

by |February 28, 2023

Columbia Climate School Postdoctoral Research Program Now Accepting Applications for 2023

The application deadline is October 31.

by |September 7, 2022

Biennial Index Finds the World Is Lagging on Environmental and Climate Goals

A handful of countries, including the United States, may emit half the world’s greenhouse gases by 2050.

by |June 1, 2022

Glacier Retreat in the Andes is Bankrupting a Billion Dollar Corporation

The developer of a controversial hydroelectric project in Chile has filed for bankruptcy, blaming Andean glacier retreat and droughts for low water flows.

by |April 15, 2022
evapotranspiration map

Space Station Instrument Provides Newly Detailed Look at Plants’ Drought Resistance

Plants in the same groups often show similar drought resistance independent of the climate in which they grow.

by |April 14, 2022

A Key U.S. Earth-Sciences Official Visits Columbia to Explore Research Ideas

Oceanographer Richard Spinrad of NOAA participated in a town hall and discussed funding opportunities with Columbia Climate School researchers.

by |March 29, 2022

Solar Energy Explains Fast Yearly Retreat of Southern Ocean Sea Ice

Sea ice in the Southern Ocean retreats each year much faster than it develops. This has puzzled scientists, but the explanation turns out to be simple.

by |March 28, 2022

Scientists Find Surprisingly Stable Carbon Uptake by Land and Oceans From Air

Estimates that predate satellite imagery fill in a missing link and imply that oceans and land have been removing carbon from the air more efficiently than previously thought.

by |March 16, 2022

Lisa Goddard: Led Global Efforts to Advance Near-Term Climate Forecasting

Lisa Goddard, longtime director of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, has died.

by |January 21, 2022

In Continuing Trend, 2021 Tied for 6th Warmest Year on Modern Record

The past eight years are the warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880.

by |January 13, 2022