State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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  • Top Planetary Scientist to Lead Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

    Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger and Provost John H. Coatsworth have named Sean C. Solomon, a leading geophysicist whose research has combined studies of the deep earth with missions to the moon and the solar system’s inner planets, to be director of Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Solomon, a research scientist and director emeritus at…

  • John Oliver, a Father of Plate Tectonics, Dies

    Dr. John Ertle “Jack” Oliver, a geophysicist with roots at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory whose research helped revolutionize our understanding of the basic forces shaping the planet, died of cancer at his home in Ithaca, N.Y., on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. He was 87. Together with fellow Lamonters Bryan Isacks and Lynn Sykes, he wrote a…

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

  • Top Planetary Scientist to Lead Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

    Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger and Provost John H. Coatsworth have named Sean C. Solomon, a leading geophysicist whose research has combined studies of the deep earth with missions to the moon and the solar system’s inner planets, to be director of Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Solomon, a research scientist and director emeritus at…

  • John Oliver, a Father of Plate Tectonics, Dies

    Dr. John Ertle “Jack” Oliver, a geophysicist with roots at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory whose research helped revolutionize our understanding of the basic forces shaping the planet, died of cancer at his home in Ithaca, N.Y., on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. He was 87. Together with fellow Lamonters Bryan Isacks and Lynn Sykes, he wrote a…