State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earthquakes19

  • Finally getting it right

    Finally getting it right

    We are driving back to Khulna at 10:30 after our third excellent day in a row.  However, there were still a lot of hiccups along the way. Yesterday, we were set to install the deep well, but when we arrived they were just starting to pull the pipe from the deep well.  We had hoped…

  • Frustration and Progress, again

    Frustration and Progress, again

    Days here seem to be coming in pairs.  In the morning, we redid the 40m well, remeasuring, doing a dry run with no cement, mixing and putting in cement, lowering the fiber and everything went as planned.  Then came the 60m well.  It already had a history.  It caved in twice when they pulled the…

  • At Bhandarkote, Khulna, the second site

    At Bhandarkote, Khulna, the second site

    Today we started working on the new site.  Bhandarkote is a small village outside of Khulna, the third largest city in Bangladesh.  The site is on a dirt road at the family home of a student from Khulna University.  It a pretty remote rural place about 25 minutes off the main road through small country…

  • Disaster and moving on

    Disaster and moving on

    It looks like we lost the deep well.  The morning started off as planned.  We would finish the calibration of the strainmeters, installing the GPS and training Shaheen for the weekly measurements.  Should be out by noon for the 8-hour drive to Dhaka followed b the 5 hour ride to Khulna the next day.  Then…

  • Finishing up in Jamalganj

    Finishing up in Jamalganj

    Our time in Jamalganj is coming to a close.  We will miss the people here, all of whom have been incredibly helpful.  Moktar and Anowar, who constructed the concrete pillars; Aziz the caretaker, locally known as the chief of Jamalganj for his ability to get things done; his son, Shaheen, who will be making the…

  • Up (roofs) and Down (wells)

    Up (roofs) and Down (wells)

    Today went a lot better than yesterday.  Just as well that I forgot my camera so that there are fewer pictures to document it. We said goodbye to Nano, Humayun and Ellie as they went back to Dhaka.  Their extra hands helped a lot.  And Ellie was a big attraction for all the kids.  Adults,…

  • Delays and progress

    Delays and progress

    The days have been so long and jam-packed days that none of us can believe it’s only been two full days here. The wells and preparations have taken longer than expected, but we are finally seeing progress.

  • On the Road to Jamalganj

    On the Road to Jamalganj

    After 11 hours on the road, we finally reached Jamalganj and the drill site. Unable to face the long daily drive to our planned rest house, we arranged to stay locally.

  • New York Earthquake Barely Causes a Stir

    Though the earthquake that no one really noticed yesterday was the largest to hit the New York area in 18 years, it’s important to note that it wasn’t an unusual event. One person in a WNYC story was quoted as saying that he had fun. Researchers at the Earth Institute have kept close tabs on…

Columbia Climate School Giving Day on October 28, 2026, featuring students and renewable energy imagery

October 28, 2026 is Columbia Giving Day! Your gift to Columbia Climate School helps advance interdisciplinary research, educate the next generation of leaders, and transform bold ideas into real-world solutions for climate, Earth, and society.

  • Finally getting it right

    Finally getting it right

    We are driving back to Khulna at 10:30 after our third excellent day in a row.  However, there were still a lot of hiccups along the way. Yesterday, we were set to install the deep well, but when we arrived they were just starting to pull the pipe from the deep well.  We had hoped…

  • Frustration and Progress, again

    Frustration and Progress, again

    Days here seem to be coming in pairs.  In the morning, we redid the 40m well, remeasuring, doing a dry run with no cement, mixing and putting in cement, lowering the fiber and everything went as planned.  Then came the 60m well.  It already had a history.  It caved in twice when they pulled the…

  • At Bhandarkote, Khulna, the second site

    At Bhandarkote, Khulna, the second site

    Today we started working on the new site.  Bhandarkote is a small village outside of Khulna, the third largest city in Bangladesh.  The site is on a dirt road at the family home of a student from Khulna University.  It a pretty remote rural place about 25 minutes off the main road through small country…

  • Disaster and moving on

    Disaster and moving on

    It looks like we lost the deep well.  The morning started off as planned.  We would finish the calibration of the strainmeters, installing the GPS and training Shaheen for the weekly measurements.  Should be out by noon for the 8-hour drive to Dhaka followed b the 5 hour ride to Khulna the next day.  Then…

  • Finishing up in Jamalganj

    Finishing up in Jamalganj

    Our time in Jamalganj is coming to a close.  We will miss the people here, all of whom have been incredibly helpful.  Moktar and Anowar, who constructed the concrete pillars; Aziz the caretaker, locally known as the chief of Jamalganj for his ability to get things done; his son, Shaheen, who will be making the…

  • Up (roofs) and Down (wells)

    Up (roofs) and Down (wells)

    Today went a lot better than yesterday.  Just as well that I forgot my camera so that there are fewer pictures to document it. We said goodbye to Nano, Humayun and Ellie as they went back to Dhaka.  Their extra hands helped a lot.  And Ellie was a big attraction for all the kids.  Adults,…

  • Delays and progress

    Delays and progress

    The days have been so long and jam-packed days that none of us can believe it’s only been two full days here. The wells and preparations have taken longer than expected, but we are finally seeing progress.

  • On the Road to Jamalganj

    On the Road to Jamalganj

    After 11 hours on the road, we finally reached Jamalganj and the drill site. Unable to face the long daily drive to our planned rest house, we arranged to stay locally.

  • New York Earthquake Barely Causes a Stir

    Though the earthquake that no one really noticed yesterday was the largest to hit the New York area in 18 years, it’s important to note that it wasn’t an unusual event. One person in a WNYC story was quoted as saying that he had fun. Researchers at the Earth Institute have kept close tabs on…