State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory145

  • The Changing Upernavik Waterfront

    The Changing Upernavik Waterfront

    Project Background: Changing conditions in Greenland’s northwest glaciers over the last decade have led to a range of questions about water temperature and circulation patterns in the fjords where ocean water meets the glacial fronts.

  • What Geology Has to Say About Global Warming

    What Geology Has to Say About Global Warming

    The most important lessons drawn from geology are that the earth’s climate can change radically, and rapidly. We can’t say precisely at what CO2 level we’re in danger of melting Antarctica, but that threshold could be reached in 150-300 years, if CO2 levels keep rising at the current rate.

  • Glacier Marks on Mount Chirripó

    Glacier Marks on Mount Chirripó

    On his sixth day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont’s Max Cunningham finds clues of the mountain’s origins and evolution.

  • Back to Mount Chirripó

    Back to Mount Chirripó

    On their fifth day of fieldwork on Mount Chirripo, Lamont’s Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan encounter some deeply weathered boulders.

  • Ancient Ocean Currents May Have Changed Pacing and Intensity of Ice Ages

    Slowing of Currents May Have Flipped Switch, Says Study

  • A Quick Retreat from ‘Mountain Lion’ Savannah

    A Quick Retreat from ‘Mountain Lion’ Savannah

    On their fourth day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont’s Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan explore an unusual valley and find the spot where a lion apparently killed someone.

  • Landslide Up Close

    Landslide Up Close

    On their third day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont geologists Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan discover remnants of a mysterious landslide.

  • Melting and Refreezing of Deep Greenland Ice Speeds Flow to Sea, Study Says

    Findings May Shift Understanding of Ice Sheet Behavior

  • Chiseling Away

    Chiseling Away

    Lamont-Doherty geologists Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan chisel away at glacial moraines on Costa Rica’s Mount Chirripo to understand when ice withdrew during the last ice age.

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  • The Changing Upernavik Waterfront

    The Changing Upernavik Waterfront

    Project Background: Changing conditions in Greenland’s northwest glaciers over the last decade have led to a range of questions about water temperature and circulation patterns in the fjords where ocean water meets the glacial fronts.

  • What Geology Has to Say About Global Warming

    What Geology Has to Say About Global Warming

    The most important lessons drawn from geology are that the earth’s climate can change radically, and rapidly. We can’t say precisely at what CO2 level we’re in danger of melting Antarctica, but that threshold could be reached in 150-300 years, if CO2 levels keep rising at the current rate.

  • Glacier Marks on Mount Chirripó

    Glacier Marks on Mount Chirripó

    On his sixth day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont’s Max Cunningham finds clues of the mountain’s origins and evolution.

  • Back to Mount Chirripó

    Back to Mount Chirripó

    On their fifth day of fieldwork on Mount Chirripo, Lamont’s Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan encounter some deeply weathered boulders.

  • Ancient Ocean Currents May Have Changed Pacing and Intensity of Ice Ages

    Slowing of Currents May Have Flipped Switch, Says Study

  • A Quick Retreat from ‘Mountain Lion’ Savannah

    A Quick Retreat from ‘Mountain Lion’ Savannah

    On their fourth day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont’s Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan explore an unusual valley and find the spot where a lion apparently killed someone.

  • Landslide Up Close

    Landslide Up Close

    On their third day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont geologists Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan discover remnants of a mysterious landslide.

  • Melting and Refreezing of Deep Greenland Ice Speeds Flow to Sea, Study Says

    Findings May Shift Understanding of Ice Sheet Behavior

  • Chiseling Away

    Chiseling Away

    Lamont-Doherty geologists Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan chisel away at glacial moraines on Costa Rica’s Mount Chirripo to understand when ice withdrew during the last ice age.