June Newsletter

June 2018

Lamont volcanologist Einat Lev shares a first-person account of her frontline work and observations from the Kilauea eruption.

Photos and Videos from Hawaii's Volcanic Eruption

Lev captured extraordinary footage of steam plumes, lava fountains, and more from the Kilauea eruption.

Increasing Heat Is Driving Off Clouds that Dampen California Wildfires

Increasing summer temperatures brought on by a combination of intensifying urbanization and warming climate are driving off once-common summertime morning cloud cover in southern coastal areas of the state, leading to increased risk of wildfires.

Applying Machine Learning Tools to Earthquake Data Offers New Insights

Lamont researchers have shown that machine learning algorithms can pick out different types of earthquakes from three years of earthquake recordings at the Geysers geothermal field in California.

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Climate-Related Flooding May Quickly Disrupt Global Trade Chains

Intensifying river floods caused by global warming may hamper national economies worldwide, and effects may propagate through global trade and supply networks, a new study says.

Donor Spotlight: Daniel Bennett

When polar scientist Marco Tedesco and colleagues from the University of Montana journey to Greenland this July to study ecosystems made of soot, bacteria, and algae building up on the melting ice sheet surface, Daniel Bennett, who is neither a scientist nor (typically) a polar explorer, will be with them. Bennett is one of the newest members of the Lamont Advisory Board and a recent donor. When Dr. Tedesco invited Bennett to join the expedition, his answer was an immediate yes.

“I saw an opportunity to go with someone who’s doing something interesting, something I can learn from, and a chance to be of help in some way,” said Bennett.

It won’t be Bennett’s first time in Greenland. The former President of The Explorers Club and founder and former CEO of Sunbelt Sportswear and DAB Real Estate, Ltd., is no stranger to exotic places and embraces the opportunity to get out from behind his desk and out to the farthest reaches of the planet. It all started with a trip to Nepal’s remote Upper Arun Valley in 2000.

“I’ve been to a lot of places outside of the beaten path.” These places include a 2012 expedition to Greenland, an excavation in the Andes, and a photographic documentation of the ecological and geographical changes on the Galápagos Islands. “I feel a need to be out in the real world, where you can see the stars at night and the wind is blowing. We live in a pretty artificial environment.” Bennett’s interest in Lamont began after he and The Explorers Club took a tour of the campus several years ago. “I was just fascinated by the place. I was blown away.”

During this summer’s expedition, Bennett and the team will work near Ilulissat, a coastal town in western Greenland, and will be sampling cryoconites – organism-containing holes at the top of the ice – to refine understanding of how the invaders are darkening the surface, decreasing its ability to reflect sunlight, and thus increasing melting. The work will also be applied to remote-sensing studies of eerily similar-looking holes in the polar caps of Mars and their potential to harbor life, past or present. The research places Lamont, the team, and Bennett at the forefront of climate change science.

“This is really important stuff. I’m certainly not a scientist. I just want to be of help to something that can have an impact. More so today than ever, it’s really important. Now, having a granddaughter reiterates [the importance] even more. It seems to me science is the only way out of this situation. There is no other way out,” said Bennett.

Education Section

A collaborative program between the Grace Church School and Lamont has presented students with an introduction to science communication and an opportunity to learn about “real-world” communication issues related to Earth science. The piloted course, given from fall 2017 to winter 2018, focused on the importance of science communication and explored the various ways in which science can be explained (e.g., videos, debates, blogs, policies). The course was designed by the Office of Education and Outreach at Lamont and implemented and tested with grade 11 students through a series of guest lectures and group-based activities. Lecturers brought relevant science content, communication techniques, mock activities, media literacy, and policymaking exercises each week, and the class culminated with a writing assignment featured on the State of the Planet Blog. This course is one of many examples of how a research institution such as Lamont can partner and develop strong communities of practice with schools around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) themes to connect students more deeply and directly to science learning.

Lamont in the News

Too Much Sun?
The Current

Trump’s Economic Isolationism Is Climate-Blind
The Hill

Vast Hidden Canyons and Mountain Ranges Discovered in Antarctica
NBC News

We Know Plastic Is Harming Marine Life. What About Us?
National Geographic

Hawaii Volcano: What's the Worst-Case Scenario for Kilauea?
Fox News

Meet the Scientists Keeping a Global Watch for Nuclear Explosions
The Verge

Venus and Jupiter Affect Earth's Climate
USA Today

Jupiter and Venus Are Shifting Earth’s Orbit Every 405,000 Years
Newsweek

Dynamic Ice Sheet and Sea Level Response to Past Climate Change
Eos

How Long Could Hawaii Volcano Destruction Go On?
NPR Here & Now

NASA’s InSight Mission Will Look Deep into the Heart of Mars for Clues about Its Past
Los Angeles Times