State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory114

  • Ancient Humans Left Africa to Escape Drying Climate, Says Study

    Ancient Humans Left Africa to Escape Drying Climate, Says Study

    Ancient humans migrated out of Africa to escape a drying climate, says a new study—a finding that contradicts previous suggestions that ancient people were able to leave because a then-wet climate allowed them to cross the generally arid Horn of Africa and Middle East.

  • Study Bolsters Volcanic Theory of Ancient Extinction

    Study Bolsters Volcanic Theory of Ancient Extinction

    A team of scientists has found new evidence to bolster the idea that the Permian Extinction, which occurred 252 million years ago, was caused by massive volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia.

  • Mumbai May Be Vulnerable to Future Hurricanes

    Mumbai May Be Vulnerable to Future Hurricanes

    If a serious cyclone were to strike Mumbai, the results could be catastrophic, says a study underway at Columbia.

  • Lamont-Doherty Campus Will Open to the Public on Saturday

    Lamont-Doherty Campus Will Open to the Public on Saturday

    The annual Open House promises a day of science-filled fun.

  • Photo Essay: Climate Change, Sea Level and the Vikings

    Photo Essay: Climate Change, Sea Level and the Vikings

    A thousand years ago, powerful Viking chieftans flourished in Norway’s Lofoten Islands, above the Arctic Circle. In an environment frequently hovering on the edge of survivability, small shifts in climate or sea level could mean life or death. People had to constantly adapt, making their living from the land and the sea as best they…

  • What the Vikings Can Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change

    What the Vikings Can Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change

    The rise of the Vikings was not a sudden event, but part of a long continuum of human development in the harsh conditions of northern Scandinavia. How did the Vikings make a living over the long term, and what might have influenced their brief florescence? Today, their experiences may provide a kind of object lesson…

  • How Will Climate Change Impact Ocean Health?

    How Will Climate Change Impact Ocean Health?

    Three scientists explain what they’re learning about the ocean’s changing conditions. These discoveries will contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of marine resources, helping to secure food for current and future generations.

  • ‘Pangeo’ Project Will Improve Access to Climate Data

    ‘Pangeo’ Project Will Improve Access to Climate Data

    The better climate models become, the harder it is to use them. One team of researchers is working to fix that.

  • DEADLINE EXTENDED–Apply to an internship today

    DEADLINE EXTENDED–Apply to an internship today

    The Earth Institute has extended the internship application deadline for positions in a variety of administration, communications and research roles. Undergraduate, graduate and PhD students are eligible to apply for the opportunity to work on a sustainability-focused project.

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.

  • Ancient Humans Left Africa to Escape Drying Climate, Says Study

    Ancient Humans Left Africa to Escape Drying Climate, Says Study

    Ancient humans migrated out of Africa to escape a drying climate, says a new study—a finding that contradicts previous suggestions that ancient people were able to leave because a then-wet climate allowed them to cross the generally arid Horn of Africa and Middle East.

  • Study Bolsters Volcanic Theory of Ancient Extinction

    Study Bolsters Volcanic Theory of Ancient Extinction

    A team of scientists has found new evidence to bolster the idea that the Permian Extinction, which occurred 252 million years ago, was caused by massive volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia.

  • Mumbai May Be Vulnerable to Future Hurricanes

    Mumbai May Be Vulnerable to Future Hurricanes

    If a serious cyclone were to strike Mumbai, the results could be catastrophic, says a study underway at Columbia.

  • Lamont-Doherty Campus Will Open to the Public on Saturday

    Lamont-Doherty Campus Will Open to the Public on Saturday

    The annual Open House promises a day of science-filled fun.

  • Photo Essay: Climate Change, Sea Level and the Vikings

    Photo Essay: Climate Change, Sea Level and the Vikings

    A thousand years ago, powerful Viking chieftans flourished in Norway’s Lofoten Islands, above the Arctic Circle. In an environment frequently hovering on the edge of survivability, small shifts in climate or sea level could mean life or death. People had to constantly adapt, making their living from the land and the sea as best they…

  • What the Vikings Can Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change

    What the Vikings Can Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change

    The rise of the Vikings was not a sudden event, but part of a long continuum of human development in the harsh conditions of northern Scandinavia. How did the Vikings make a living over the long term, and what might have influenced their brief florescence? Today, their experiences may provide a kind of object lesson…

  • How Will Climate Change Impact Ocean Health?

    How Will Climate Change Impact Ocean Health?

    Three scientists explain what they’re learning about the ocean’s changing conditions. These discoveries will contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of marine resources, helping to secure food for current and future generations.

  • ‘Pangeo’ Project Will Improve Access to Climate Data

    ‘Pangeo’ Project Will Improve Access to Climate Data

    The better climate models become, the harder it is to use them. One team of researchers is working to fix that.

  • DEADLINE EXTENDED–Apply to an internship today

    DEADLINE EXTENDED–Apply to an internship today

    The Earth Institute has extended the internship application deadline for positions in a variety of administration, communications and research roles. Undergraduate, graduate and PhD students are eligible to apply for the opportunity to work on a sustainability-focused project.