State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory118

  • Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    This summer I am in the Mississippi Delta in southern Louisiana helping to install an updated version of the compaction meters that we have in Bangladesh. The environment is quite different and we have arrived in the midst of an historic storm. Luckily for us the brunt of the storm is NW of us. So…

  • Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Until recently, too little data existed about the distribution of trace elements and nutrients in the oceans to provide a global picture. In 2002, a group of scientists connected with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory set out to fill those gaps.

  • NSF Joins Early Career Scientists aboard a Training Cruise

    NSF Joins Early Career Scientists aboard a Training Cruise

    Rose Dufour, NSF’s Program Director of Ship Operations, joined the cruise to talk with early career scientists about writing scientific proposals and loving what you do.

  • Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Big Mac, Pepperoni, Billie Jo, Birdy Sanders, Bertie, Journey, Hippy and Twitter flew an average of about 1,215 km. “Paul,” named for a teacher who had passed away, traveled 3,220 km.

  • Shipboard Science: It’s All About Collaboration This Week

    Shipboard Science: It’s All About Collaboration This Week

    Early-career scientists aboard the UNOLS training cruise are getting to try new techniques and technologies, and collaborations are springing up everywhere.

  • The Magic of Exploring Under the Sea

    The Magic of Exploring Under the Sea

    It’s midnight on the ship, and the labs are filled with scientists busy examining samples. Two of them just got back from a trip to the seafloor, and the excitement is palpable.

  • Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    When scientists say “research cruise,” they aren’t talking about sunny afternoons of shuffleboard and margaritas on deck. Life aboard a research vessel means tight spaces, few amenities, and long workdays.

  • Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Bridgit’s first mission with the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry was a rousing success, including locating a patch of seafloor where methane is bubbling up.

  • When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    Bridgit’s research training cruise started with a fundamental lesson of ocean science: Science at sea requires constant adaptation. Morning fog meant rewriting dive plans and reconsidering priorities.

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings

  • Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    This summer I am in the Mississippi Delta in southern Louisiana helping to install an updated version of the compaction meters that we have in Bangladesh. The environment is quite different and we have arrived in the midst of an historic storm. Luckily for us the brunt of the storm is NW of us. So…

  • Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Until recently, too little data existed about the distribution of trace elements and nutrients in the oceans to provide a global picture. In 2002, a group of scientists connected with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory set out to fill those gaps.

  • NSF Joins Early Career Scientists aboard a Training Cruise

    NSF Joins Early Career Scientists aboard a Training Cruise

    Rose Dufour, NSF’s Program Director of Ship Operations, joined the cruise to talk with early career scientists about writing scientific proposals and loving what you do.

  • Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Big Mac, Pepperoni, Billie Jo, Birdy Sanders, Bertie, Journey, Hippy and Twitter flew an average of about 1,215 km. “Paul,” named for a teacher who had passed away, traveled 3,220 km.

  • Shipboard Science: It’s All About Collaboration This Week

    Shipboard Science: It’s All About Collaboration This Week

    Early-career scientists aboard the UNOLS training cruise are getting to try new techniques and technologies, and collaborations are springing up everywhere.

  • The Magic of Exploring Under the Sea

    The Magic of Exploring Under the Sea

    It’s midnight on the ship, and the labs are filled with scientists busy examining samples. Two of them just got back from a trip to the seafloor, and the excitement is palpable.

  • Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    Life Aboard a Research Cruise: 24-Hour Workdays, Amazing Discoveries

    When scientists say “research cruise,” they aren’t talking about sunny afternoons of shuffleboard and margaritas on deck. Life aboard a research vessel means tight spaces, few amenities, and long workdays.

  • Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Roving the Abyss: It Takes a Team

    Bridgit’s first mission with the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry was a rousing success, including locating a patch of seafloor where methane is bubbling up.

  • When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    When Doing Science at Sea, Prepare to Adapt

    Bridgit’s research training cruise started with a fundamental lesson of ocean science: Science at sea requires constant adaptation. Morning fog meant rewriting dive plans and reconsidering priorities.