Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
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What NYC Got Right During the Wildfire Smoke Emergency, According to an Expert
Atmospheric chemist V. Faye McNeill explains our new, smoky normal—and how to stay safe.
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Geologist Folarin Kolawole Receives 2026 National Geographic Wayfinder Award
Folarin Kolawole is one of 15 recipients of this year’s National Geographic Society’s Wayfinder Award, which recognizes people whose work is expanding our understanding of the planet and helping to protect its future.
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Ancient Dust Points To Retreat of West Antarctic Ice Sheet During Last Warm Period
Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have been far smaller during one of Earth’s most recent warm periods, according to a new study.
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Lamont Paleoclimatologist Maureen Raymo Receives the 2026 Nemmers Prize
Raymo received the award for her pioneering development of hypotheses that explain climate change across Earth’s history, and her educational leadership in the Earth system sciences.
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Faculty Spotlight: Decoding the Arctic Ocean’s Chemical Clues
Laramie Jensen’s interest in inorganic and analytical chemistry led her to the ocean. And then to the North Pole.
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Sinking Land Drives Hidden Flood Risk in One of the World’s Most Populated Regions
A new study finds that land subsidence is outpacing ocean-driven sea-level rise along the northern coastline of Java Island, Indonesia.
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Earth’s “Missing” Billion Years: Study Links the Great Unconformity to Early Tectonics
New findings shed light on a widespread gap in the geologic record, where more than a billion years of Earth’s history appear to have been erased.
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Women in Science: Paleoceanographer Apollonia Arellano
Arellano uses geochemical analyses to reconstruct deep ocean circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean.

You Asked invites you to share your most pressing questions about climate, science, and sustainability. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School experts will respond with clear, evidence-based answers. Pose your questions and story ideas!

