El Niño4
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Translating Nature’s Historians: The Tree Ring Lab Turns 40
In its first 40 years, the Lamont Tree Ring Lab tracked changing climates around the world, building an international reputation as a global leader in research, training and technology.
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Tree Rings on Hawai’i Could Hold New Knowledge About El Niño
Annual tree rings are a rare find in the tropical islands of the eastern Pacific. The new discovery of trees with annual rings on a Hawaiian volcano could provide new climate data from a part of the world where much of the variability of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation originates.
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The Extreme Pacific Climate Now
The climate over the tropical Pacific is in an extreme state at the moment. That explains some of the extreme anomalies affecting the United States right now. It also gives us a window through which we can glimpse how even more dramatic and long-term climates of the distant past might have worked.
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Behind the Expected Quiet 2015 Hurricane Season
On May 27, 2015, NOAA officially announced a likely below-normal Atlantic Hurricane season is coming up. The range for the possible numbers of major hurricanes is 0-2. What are the reasons behind it? How precise are these numbers?
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Tapping into Earth’s Secret History
In a study published last week, Lamont post-doctoral scholar Heather Ford and coauthors used 4 million-year-old fossils from the Pliocene to reconstruct the physical features of the Pacific Ocean that would have shaped the environment during a critical juncture in Earth history.
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Forecast Sees a Stronger El Niño
El Niño is back, and it looks like it will be getting stronger. While it’s difficult to predict the impact precisely, El Niño can alter patterns of drought and rainfall around the world.
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Frequency of Tornadoes, Hail Linked to El Niño, La Niña
Study May Aid Seasonal Forecasting
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2014 Was Warmest Year in Modern Record, Say Two U.S. Reports
Data in Accord With Other Nations’ Studies
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Has Global Warming Stalled? How Long Will It Last?
Climate Scientist Lisa Goddard talks about what may be behind the recent slowdown in global warming, and some of the nuances of predicting just how the climate will change.

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
