State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earthquakes8

  • Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    From our base in Srimongal, now came the challenging work of finding appropriate locations to install the GPS. It requires a combination of the right tectonic setting and reinforced concrete buildings.

  • Fellowship of the Seismometers

    Fellowship of the Seismometers

    I am back in Bangladesh to start deployment of seismometers and GPS for a large new project that crosses 3 countries: Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

  • Ear to the Ground, Listening for Nuclear Blasts

    Ear to the Ground, Listening for Nuclear Blasts

    Seismologist Lynn Sykes has been working for more than 50 years to halt the testing of nuclear bombs. In his forthcoming book, Silencing the Bomb: One Scientist’s Quest to Halt Nuclear Testing, Sykes provides an insider’s look at the science behind detecting explosions, and international efforts to establish a series of treaties.

  • Ocean Sediments Off Pacific Coast May Feed Tsunami Danger

    Ocean Sediments Off Pacific Coast May Feed Tsunami Danger

    Tightly packed sediments help the Cascadia Subduction Zone generate large earthquakes, and could boost its ability to trigger a large tsunami.

  • Seismodome Demonstrates the Awe-Inspiring Intensity of Earthquakes

    Seismodome Demonstrates the Awe-Inspiring Intensity of Earthquakes

    During a show at the Hayden Planetarium, seismologist Ben Holtzman explains how he turns earthquake data into captivating sounds and visualizations.

  • New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    Scientists probing under the seafloor off Alaska have mapped a geologic structure that they say signals potential for a major tsunami in an area that normally would be considered benign.

  • Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    The final phase of our revolves around visiting chars, sandy river islands, on the Ganges and Brahmaputra River. Chris and Dan are making measurements of soil salinity and moisture and spectra of the soil reflectance, while Liz and I collected samples for OSL dating and understanding the OSL properties of the river sediments here. This…

  • Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    After helping Chris an Dan with soil salinity and reflectance measurement, Humayun, Liz and I moved onto the smaller M.B. Mewl to sail through the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to service our GPS station at Hiron Point.

  • Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Humayun, Liz and I headed to Khulna in SW Bangladesh a day after Chris and Dan. Along the way, we stopped at our sediment compaction meter for surveying and removing the GPS, and getting feasted by the family that hosts the system.

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    Installing the First Two GPS Sites

    From our base in Srimongal, now came the challenging work of finding appropriate locations to install the GPS. It requires a combination of the right tectonic setting and reinforced concrete buildings.

  • Fellowship of the Seismometers

    Fellowship of the Seismometers

    I am back in Bangladesh to start deployment of seismometers and GPS for a large new project that crosses 3 countries: Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

  • Ear to the Ground, Listening for Nuclear Blasts

    Ear to the Ground, Listening for Nuclear Blasts

    Seismologist Lynn Sykes has been working for more than 50 years to halt the testing of nuclear bombs. In his forthcoming book, Silencing the Bomb: One Scientist’s Quest to Halt Nuclear Testing, Sykes provides an insider’s look at the science behind detecting explosions, and international efforts to establish a series of treaties.

  • Ocean Sediments Off Pacific Coast May Feed Tsunami Danger

    Ocean Sediments Off Pacific Coast May Feed Tsunami Danger

    Tightly packed sediments help the Cascadia Subduction Zone generate large earthquakes, and could boost its ability to trigger a large tsunami.

  • Seismodome Demonstrates the Awe-Inspiring Intensity of Earthquakes

    Seismodome Demonstrates the Awe-Inspiring Intensity of Earthquakes

    During a show at the Hayden Planetarium, seismologist Ben Holtzman explains how he turns earthquake data into captivating sounds and visualizations.

  • New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    New Images From Under Alaska Seafloor Suggest High Tsunami Danger

    Scientists probing under the seafloor off Alaska have mapped a geologic structure that they say signals potential for a major tsunami in an area that normally would be considered benign.

  • Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    Sampling on the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

    The final phase of our revolves around visiting chars, sandy river islands, on the Ganges and Brahmaputra River. Chris and Dan are making measurements of soil salinity and moisture and spectra of the soil reflectance, while Liz and I collected samples for OSL dating and understanding the OSL properties of the river sediments here. This…

  • Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    Side Trip to Hiron Point, Sundarbans

    After helping Chris an Dan with soil salinity and reflectance measurement, Humayun, Liz and I moved onto the smaller M.B. Mewl to sail through the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to service our GPS station at Hiron Point.

  • Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Equipment Repairs in SW Bangladesh

    Humayun, Liz and I headed to Khulna in SW Bangladesh a day after Chris and Dan. Along the way, we stopped at our sediment compaction meter for surveying and removing the GPS, and getting feasted by the family that hosts the system.