State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Mountain building

  • Climate Change and Glaciers Affect Mountain-Building in Patagonia

    Climate Change and Glaciers Affect Mountain-Building in Patagonia

    Extensive field work in Patagonia confirms the theory that climate change and glaciers can affect the forces inside the Earth that build mountains.

  • The Downs and Ups of Mountain Building

    The Downs and Ups of Mountain Building

    In the islands off Papua New Guinea, the rocks are giving rise to new ideas about the ways mountain chains form. A new scientific model shows how two seemingly opposite processes can take place in the same region.

  • Photo Essay: Norwegian Rocks

    Photo Essay: Norwegian Rocks

    Geologist John Templeton recently spent a year on Norway’s west coast trying to understand how rocks now at the surface made an epic journey deep into Earth’s interior and back during the growth and subsequent collapse of the ancient Caledonian mountains. Check out a photo essay describing his work.

Earth Month Graphic Collage: "Our Power, Our Planet - April 2025"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. This Earth Month, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • Climate Change and Glaciers Affect Mountain-Building in Patagonia

    Climate Change and Glaciers Affect Mountain-Building in Patagonia

    Extensive field work in Patagonia confirms the theory that climate change and glaciers can affect the forces inside the Earth that build mountains.

  • The Downs and Ups of Mountain Building

    The Downs and Ups of Mountain Building

    In the islands off Papua New Guinea, the rocks are giving rise to new ideas about the ways mountain chains form. A new scientific model shows how two seemingly opposite processes can take place in the same region.

  • Photo Essay: Norwegian Rocks

    Photo Essay: Norwegian Rocks

    Geologist John Templeton recently spent a year on Norway’s west coast trying to understand how rocks now at the surface made an epic journey deep into Earth’s interior and back during the growth and subsequent collapse of the ancient Caledonian mountains. Check out a photo essay describing his work.