Sculpting Tropical Peaks
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Photo Essay: Sculpting Tropical Peaks
Max Cunningham, a graduate student at Lamont-Doherty, traveled to Costa Rica’s Mount Chirripó this past summer to test the idea that mountain glaciers carved the summit we see today. He and his colleagues hope to eventually pin down when Chirripó’s high-elevation valleys eroded into their current form. Check out a recap of their 2014 field…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Landslide Up Close
On their third day on Mount Chirripo, Lamont geologists Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan discover remnants of a mysterious landslide.
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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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Climbing Mount Chirripó
On the hike up Costa Rica’s Mount Chirripó, Lamont geologists Max Cunningham and Mike Kaplan encounter varied climates and vegetation.
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Mount Chirripó: Shaped by Glaciers or Tectonic Forces?
Lamont-Doherty graduate student Max Cunningham describes his upcoming research objectives on Costa Rica’s Mount Chirripó.
AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More
