The current megadrought in the American West may be one of the most severe in the past 1200 years, says new research by Park Williams, one of our Fellows.

Atmospheric scientist Yutian Wu received funding from the Center for Climate and Life to investigate whether the ongoing, rapid decline of sea ice cover in the Arctic promotes extreme weather over North America.

Park Williams, a bioclimatologist and Center for Climate and Life Fellow, has found that rising temperatures influence wildfires in the American West.

The workshop will bring together an international group of observation-based research, modeling, lab, and policy experts to discuss the state of knowledge of extreme air pollution events.

Geochemist Joerg Schaefer, a Center for Climate and Life Fellow, was interviewed by PRI about his research on the instability of Greenland’s massive ice sheet.

Cook, a Climate and Life Fellow and a co-founder of the Lamont Tree Ring Lab, explains how he uses tree rings to study past climate and advance understanding of drought.

Chia-Ying Lee, a Climate and Life Fellow, and other Columbia scientists explain why it’s difficult to predict exactly how strong, or intense, Hurricane Florence will be.

Eight local high school students recently worked on independent research projects alongside our scientists as part of the Center for Climate and Life Summer Intern Program.

Two scientists affiliated with the Center for Climate and Life are leading research that examines some of the ways climate change affects ocean health.

The world’s growing population means global demand for food could increase dramatically by 2050. Yet the impacts of climate change threaten our food supplies.

Business leaders and climate scientists recently met to discuss how advances in climate science research can be used to reduce investment risk and improve returns.

The donation from Dirk Ziff (CC’88) and Daniel Ziff (CC’96) will support research on climate change impacts, ocean health, and adaptation.

Columbia’s Center for Climate Systems Research is building a network analysis program that can pinpoint trouble spots in the global food trade system.

An atmospheric scientist seeking to understand how the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice will impact North American weather extremes is the Center’s newest Fellow.

The new research, co-authored by glaciologist Jonathan Kingslake, could help to refine predictions about how today’s warming climate will impact polar ice and sea level rise.

A combination of urbanization and a warming climate are causing cloud cover to plummet in southern coastal California, leading to increased risk of wildfires.

A new study has uncovered when and why the native vegetation that today dominates much of Australia first expanded across the continent.

On May 4, members of the business community gathered at a midtown Manhattan investment bank to learn how advances in climate science can be used to reduce investment risk and improve returns.

To help predict the future of sea level rise, scientists from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are studying ancient corals on the island of Barbados.

Tree-ring scientist Laia Andreu-Hayles received funding from the Center for Climate and Life to collect and develop tree-ring records for tropical forests in Bolivia and Peru.

In March, a team of scientists led by Climate and Life Fellow William D’Andrea collected sediment cores from wetlands on Rapa Nui, which will be used to examine aspects of climatic, environmental, and human land-use history.

Climate scientist Radley Horton is bringing the effects of sea level rise to the attention of decision-makers and fostering discussions to help society more effectively confront climate change.

Marco Tedesco and Robin Bell, polar scientists at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory polar scientists, provide a primer for non-scientists on the study of climate change as it relates to sea level changes.

Gisela Winckler and Joerg Schaefer, Lamont-Doherty scientists and Center for Climate and Life Fellows, are working to develop a more detailed picture of the past, present, and future of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Two new papers find that the line that divides the moist East and arid West is edging eastward due to climate change—and the implications for farming and other pursuits could be huge.

Columbia University and data-analytics firm Jupiter will collaborate on improved hurricane track simulations so that the public and private sectors can plan for weather and climate risks.

Researchers report a sharp drop in salinity in the North Atlantic Ocean over the last decade, providing the most detailed look yet at changing ocean conditions in the region.

Robin Bell is a Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory polar scientist whose breakthrough research, fueled by passionate intellectual curiosity, has been critical to understanding our planet.

The death of coral reefs is a more significant factor in the erosion of tropical coastlines than rising sea levels, says research by Lamont’s Alessio Rovere and an international team of scientists.

Citizen scientists are invited to contribute to a project led by Marco Tedesco, who’s investigating the properties of snow in the eastern U.S. and how that snow is changing over time.

Robertson, a Center for Climate and Life Fellow, is creating a forecasting system that will help societies adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

On January 31 at 1:00 p.m. EST, Lamont’s Hugh Ducklow and his colleagues will use the National Science Foundation Twitter account to discuss their research on Antarctic ecology.

On May 4, 2018, the dialogue among climate scientists, engineers, and business and finance leaders will focus on “Ice Sheets and Sea Level Rise: Implications for Coastal Property.”

Researchers create first model for hurricane hazard assessment that is both open source and capable of accounting for climate change. They hope the new system will lead to storm risk and hazard assessments for major cities.

In this video, Peter deMenocal, Radley Horton, and Sonya Dyhrman explain their research and Columbia University’s commitment to understanding the critical issue of climate change.

Center for Climate and Life Fellow Chia-Ying Lee is examining how wind field asymmetries and variability impact tropical cyclone risk and how these can be included in risk models.

Rainfall changes caused by global warming will increase river flooding risks across the globe by the 2040s, says a new study. The increases will be greatest in the U.S., central Europe, Indonesia, and parts of India and Africa.

In coming decades, the effects of high humidity in many areas may surpass humans’ ability to work or, in some cases, even survive.

Center for Climate and Fellow Billy D’Andrea is trying to understand Easter Island’s climate history over the last few thousand years and how communities dealt with past climate change.

A new study shows that even minor deterioration of ice shelves can instantaneously hasten the decline of ice hundreds of miles landward.

Center for Climate and Life Fellow Pratigya Polissar is developing new tools to look at the history of plants and ecosystems on Earth over the past 20 million years.

2017 was our biggest year yet. We’re excited to share our top moments, made possible by our community and their commitment to understanding the critical issue of climate change and its impacts on humanity.

A new study co-authored by Maureen Raymo calculates that if we eat half as many burgers and steaks each week, it could have a profound effect on carbon emissions and the environment.

A plankton-like species is attacking the base of the food chain in the Arabian sea, disrupting water quality and killing fish. Researchers at Lamont-Doherty are learning how to fight back.

In a remote region around Kenya’s Lake Turkana, Kevin Uno collects fossils and sediments which are used to understand how climate affected our ancestors millions of years ago.

A reporter from National Geographic joined paleoclimatologist Billy D’Andrea and his colleagues for an expedition to gather vital climate data in the Norwegian Arctic.

Two solar arrays in Upstate New York will be up and ready at the end of November, poised to provide power and to help to reduce the Lamont campus’ carbon footprint.

Concurrent with the announcement that human carbon emissions reached a new peak this year, Galen McKinley, a researcher at Lamont-Doherty, discusses the difficulties of tracking the sources and destinations of carbon dioxide.

Researchers have devised a way to use satellite measurements to predict when and where ozone will form. This may help assess the most effective approaches to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

Radley Horton and Timothy Hall, two Columbia University climate scientists who contributed to the new Climate Science Special Report, discuss its scientific findings.

Columbia University climate scientists Peter de Menocal, director of the Center for Climate and Life, Radley Horton, and Kate Marvel discuss climate science and solutions.

Storms of intensities seen today, combined with a few meters increase in sea level, were enough to transport massive coastal boulders more than 100,000 years ago.

The warmer, more acidic waters caused by climate change influence the behavior of tiny marine organisms essential to ocean health.

The landlocked are surrounding the Dead Sea suffered long megadroughts in the past. Now, climate change threatens to inflict such conditions again on this already sere, volatile region.

During a conference at Columbia University, scientists pinpointed areas where advances in fire prediction can be made within the next decade.

Volcanic eruptions have been known to cool global climate, but they can also exacerbate the melting of ice sheets, says a new study.

A video filmed by Lamont marine biologist Andy Juhl reveals mature jellyfish under the Arctic sea ice, where they aren’t supposed to be.

A new white paper explores how advances in climate science can inform near-term investments in the global economy.

Humans migrated out of Africa to escape a drying climate, about 60,000 years ago, according to a new study in the journal Geology.

If a serious cyclone were to strike Mumbai, the results could be catastrophic, says a study underway by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Initiative on Extreme Weather and Climate.

Billy D’Andrea’s research on the experiences of the Vikings may provide a kind of object lesson on how changing climate can affect civilizations.

Three oceanographers from Lamont-Doherty discuss how changes in ocean temperatures and chemistry impact marine life and food security.

The better climate models become, the harder it is to use them. A team of Columbia scientists and their colleagues are working to fix that.

Hoaxes have been calling Irma a Category 6 hurricane, but there’s no such thing. Could there be, in the future?

Atmospheric scientists Chia-Ying Lee and Adam Sobel explain that climate change didn’t cause Hurricane Harvey, but it likely made the storm worse.

It’s too soon to say there’s a connection, but searching for the fingerprints of climate change shouldn’t take too long.

Global warming-related rises in winter temperatures could significantly extend the range of one of the world’s most aggressive tree-killing insects.

Over the past day and a half, Hurricane Harvey’s winds have quickened from about 35 to 109 miles per hour. What’s driving this massive power-up?

A new study validates that the East Antarctic ice sheet should remain stable even if the western ice sheet melts.

Robin Bell, Radley Horton, and Adam Sobel explain how their research helps make communities more resilient to extreme weather and sea level rise.

A new study found that the northeastern U.S. is at particular risk for physical and economic effects of climate hazards.

Carbon capture and storage technologies are an essential tool for substantially reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to combat global warming.

David Goldberg and Peter Kelemen discuss carbon capture and storage, and how it can make the energy sector, and society, more resilient to climate change.

Rising temperatures due to global warming will make it harder for many aircraft around the world to take off in coming decades, says a new study.

It’s not unusual for ice shelves to calve, many in the climate community fear that the breaking of Larsen C may be a signal of other events to come.

A new initiative accelerates Columbia’s commitment to advance knowledge and solve some of the greatest scientific challenges facing the world today.

Scientists have found evidence for a possible abrupt change in the Sahel, a region long characterized by aridity and political instability.

Research by geophysicist Christine McCarthy reveals how glaciers move, what makes them speed up, and how they are contributing to sea level rise as the climate warms.

The Center has awarded nearly $1 million to four scientists whose research will improve understanding of how climate change impacts the essentials of human sustainability.

Once scientists could only observe Earth from above by using manned aircraft or satellites. Today they’re using drones to expand their research as never before.

Superstorm Sandy was a wake-up call for a lot of people in New York City, including Adam Sobel, who’s spent more than two decades studying the physics of weather and climate.

Self-pity is a luxury we can’t afford right now. We need science to inform our actions in a fast-changing world, and we need to keep asking questions.

Richard Seager and Park Williams discuss how water will be affected by warmer temperatures, and how their research increases understanding of these issues.

During the last glacial period, there were lakes under Antarctica’s ice sheet, which may have accelerated the retreat of glaciers in the past.

As the world warms due to climate change, shifts in global distribution of rainfall can be expected, impacting water resources across the planet.

Seager, a climate scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, discusses his research on drought in the North American Southwest.

Last winter, reporters from The New York Times joined Lamont scientists as they flew their mission of discovery over Antarctica.

We’re working to understand and predict climate change variability and its impacts — and we’re devoted to applying this knowledge to solutions.

The health and environmental benefits of U.S. clean air policies extend to global climate.

Billy D’Andrea is investigating the relationship between environmental change and characteristics of early settlements in Arctic Norway.

New research offers the first comprehensive model for understanding differences in sea level rise along North America’s East Coast.

A study co-authored by Michael Puma found food security risks for the entire globe hiding in the water use practices of major food producing nations.

The melting of glaciers will affect drinking water supplies, water needed to grow food and supply energy, as well as global sea levels.

On May 2, 2017, Lamont-Doherty and the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School co-host a Social Enterprise Leadership Forum.

The widespread presence of seasonally flowing streams signals that the ice may be more vulnerable to melting than previously thought.

Learn more about our research and initiatives at Earth Day Texas, the largest Earth Day celebration in the world, April 21-23, 2017 in Dallas.

Pratigya Polissar, a paleoclimatologist and Center for Climate and Life Fellow, talks about his research, and what inspired him to go into his field.

Michael J. Puma, a Center for Climate and Life Fellow, discusses his new study on groundwater depletion worldwide and the implications for food security.

With support from WSL PURE, Center scientists are examining the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on calcifying plankton.

A report by Columbia University and Willis Re says that the average annual loss from severe convective storms was $11.23 billion for the period 2003-2015.

Center for Climate and Life Fellow Park Williams studies trees and climate. In this video he talks about his research, why it’s important, and what inspires him.

Atmospheric scientist Adam Sobel takes a look at what’s behind the California dam crisis that forced nearly 200,000 people to evacuate.

Securing the nation’s food supply is a major step toward making the U.S. and the world more resilient in the face of increasing uncertainty.

How did our climate system behave the last time it warmed up like it’s doing today?

A new coral salinity record shows that the most significant hydroclimatic feature in the Southern Hemisphere influences a major Pacific Ocean current.

Changes in the annual summer monsoon that drops rain onto East Asia likely altered the course of early human cultures in China, say the authors of a new study.

Two scientists who untangled the forces that drive El Niño, the world’s most powerful weather cycle, won the 2017 Vetlesen Prize for achievement in Earth sciences.

Polar scientists give Obama a warm farewell by collecting climate data in his name.

Rainfall patterns in the Sahara during the six-thousand-year “Green Sahara” period have been revealed by analyzing marine sediments.

Research by Lamont’s Billy D’Andreas revealed that over the last century, glaciers in Greenland have been retreating quickly — at a rate at least twice as fast as any other time in the past 9,500 years.

Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations would work to undermine the very things they have been tasked to protect.

Lamont geochemist Bärbel Hönisch investigates the role of the ocean and, in particular, the role of marine carbonate chemistry in global climate change.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced a $3.7 million grant to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for research on changing patterns of sea ice in the Alaskan Arctic.

The four new Fellows are a diverse group of junior and mid-career scientists with research interests spanning a range of climate topics and regions.

Evidence buried in Greenland’s bedrock shows that the Greenland Ice Sheet nearly disappeared for an extended time in the last million years or so.

Floats deployed by Lamont scientists will find areas where warmer than normal water could put the Ross Ice Shelf at risk.

Earth’s climate is changing very rapidly, with severe impacts looming on the horizon, yet we continue to stand around instead of finding and implementing solutions to the challenges posed by global warming.

In the far north, climate is warming two to three times faster than the global average. How will these changes affect tundra and boreal forests?

Sonya Dyhrman studies marine microbes and the role they play in producing oxygen, capturing carbon dioxide, and fueling the marine food web.

A close-up of a Litsea calicarioides leaf’s stomata, through which leaves take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, speaks to atmospheric CO2 levels 23 million years ago.

Figuring out how far sea level rose during past warm periods in Earth’s history starts with a walk on the beach, a keen eye for evidence of ancient shorelines, and a highly accurate GPS system.

Geologist Alessio Rovere and Trinity Mensah-Senoo walk along a beach in Ghana gathering data that will be used to monitor coastal erosion.

Lamont scientists have developed ways to relatively quickly turn carbon dioxide captured from power plants to a solid for long-term storage.

Park Williams explains the influence of climate change on droughts and wildfires in the western United States.

In diving expeditions to several Pacific Ocean islands, Lamont paleoclimatologist Brad Linsley has collected cores that hold up to 500 years’ worth of climate information.

23 million years ago, the Antarctic ice sheet was shrinking quickly. A new study by Lamont scientists sheds light on the cause of that ancient melt.

A new study says that human-induced climate change has doubled the area affected by forest fires in the U.S. West over the last 30 years.

Lamont marine geologist and paleoclimatologist Maureen Raymo studies ancient shorelines to understand how high seas rose in the past, and how high they might climb in the future.

As the Southwestern U.S. grows hotter, the risk of long-lasting megadroughts rises, passing 90% this century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace.

Follow your curiosity and explore Earth science with us with on Saturday, October 8 at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House.

Figuring out how the global food system might respond to disturbances will ensure that everyone has safe, reliable access to the food they need.

Ecosystem ecologist Natalie Boelman is studying the effects of climate change on the relationships among migratory songbirds, plants and insects in Alaska.

The Center for Climate and Life will support three new fellows to conduct innovative, impactful research relevant to our mission.

An expedition to the Canadian Arctic and west coast of Greenland is a moving and motivating experience for leading climate scientist Maureen Raymo.

Lamont’s Ryan Abernathey and Richard Seager are investigating how processes in the ocean create extreme weather and climate conditions over land.

In a new study, Lamont’s Michael Previdi and Lorenzo Polvani found that the effect of rising temperatures on snowfall in Antarctica has so far been overshadowed by the frozen continent’s large natural climate variability.

Scientist Park Williams, recipient of a Climate and Life Fellowship, is examining the influence of climate change on droughts and wildfires.

The heavy rains and flooding in Louisiana have been devastating. Can we attribute the severity of it to climate change? How you measure that depends on the questions you ask.

Join pro-surfing legend Kelly Slater at his Surf Ranch as part of a new fundraising campaign that benefits WSL PURE and the Center for Climate and Life.

Ecologist Natalie Boelman is part of a multi-year field campaign to understand the impacts of climate change in Alaska and western Canada.

A new internship program enables high school students to gain hands-on research experience while working alongside Climate and Life scientists.

Powerful tropical cyclones like the super typhoon that lashed Taiwan in July are expected to become even stronger as the planet warms.

Changes on the West Antarctic Peninsula are showing in the numbers and species of marine wildlife, particularly the native Adélie penguin.

A new study shows how Antarctic sea ice migration may be more important for the global ocean circulation than anyone realized.

In a recently published study, scientists demonstrated that two years after injecting CO2 underground at a pilot test site in Iceland, almost all of it has been converted into minerals.

A new study supplies the longest and most complete record of ancient plant life in much of what is now Ethiopia and Kenya, the assumed birthplace of humanity.

In this episode of the Huffington Post’s “Talk Nerdy To Me,” Center for Climate and Life Director Peter de Menocal discusses climate change and the Anthropocene.

Center for Climate and Life director Peter deMenocal discusses how climate is changing today, why it is changing and how this impacts people and the global economy.

Maureen Raymo, a marine geologist and paleoceanographer whose name is connected with key theories about how ice ages wax and wane and how sea levels change, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

A new study by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists says a record drought that ravaged Syria in 2006-2010 was likely stoked by ongoing manmade climate change, and that the drought may have helped propel the 2011 Syrian uprising.

The findings of a new study, appearing in Science, show that there is a broad consensus amongst climate models that this region will dry significantly in the 21st century and that the transition to a more arid climate may already be underway.