LDEO November 2026 Newsletter: Earth & Environmental Science News
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Seeing the Unseen
Art and science are both driven by the desire to make sense of the world around us — to find and understand patterns that emerge from noise. Both artists and scientists strive to see the world in new ways, and to communicate that vision. Lamont's Research as Art 2026—organized by Lindsay Hogan, Ally Peccia, Hanna Anderson, and Phoebe Salowey—celebrates these endeavors and the research taking place at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
📷 Kaalbela, Extreme Events by PhD student Aandishah Samara reimagines Bangladesh's climate story through its six traditional seasons. Each panel shows a single season, and within it, time runs vertically from top to bottom: the season as it has been traditionally shows agricultural and daily life; moving downward, the same scene is destabilized by the climate extremes reshaping the country; and at the base, resolving into 2075 where land is restored through community-led ecological resistance.
As American science faces cuts in research funding, your support is more important than ever. By making a gift to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory today, you help advance our mission, strengthen our community of researchers, and expand our education and outreach initiatives—ensuring that Lamont continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. At a time when research funding is increasingly uncertain, your support is more important than ever. Every dollar donated stays at Lamont, supporting Lamont science and scientists.
Microplastics Are Chemically Active, and Could Cause Biological Harm
A new study found that when microplastics contact water, their surfaces can become chemically reactive. This could be how they get us sick.
Climate Change Stopped the Next Ice Age
New research shows that 2,000 years ago, remnants of an Arctic ice sheet began growing again, marking the start of a new glacial period—what we commonly call an ice age. But by the 1960s, global warming had raised summer temperatures enough to reverse that growth.
Study Links NYC Congestion Pricing Policy to Cleaner Air In Lower Manhattan
One year after NYC launched its congestion pricing policy, fine particulate pollution inside Manhattan’s congestion relief zone was 13 percent lower, according to a new analysis.
How a Massive Ancient Ice Shelf Stabilized Glaciers—and What It Means for Antarctica
New research could lead to more accurate predictions about how quickly Antarctic glaciers might retreat and raise sea levels.
Giant Canyon on Mars Is Still Tectonically Active Today
Scientists at Columbia University and Imperial College London have found that the largest canyon system in the solar system is still active and shaping Mars today, billions of years after it first formed.
Lamont Researchers Receive Major Earth Science Honors from the American Geophysical Union
Five Lamont scientists received major 2026 honors recognizing research on sea-level change, ocean carbon uptake, seafloor mapping and Earth’s deep interior. William B. F. Ryan receives the Maurice Ewing Medal; Jacqueline Austermann, Gisela Winckler and Galen McKinley receive AGU distinctions, while Renata Wentzcovitch is named a Distinguished Lecturer.
Two Lamont Scientists Celebrate Marie Tharp’s Hall of Fame Induction—and Carry Her Legacy Forward
Robin Bell and Vicki Ferrini reflect on Tharp’s induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and how her groundbreaking ocean-floor maps helped establish the theory of plate tectonics.
Highlights From the 2026 Open House at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
More than 2,500 visitors explored hands-on activities, lectures, and installations at Lamont's campus on Saturday, October 17.
Real Science, Right Now: How High School Students Are Researching Climate Solutions
Through Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School programs, students conducted hands-on climate research to build scientific, analytical, and communication skills.
September Research Roundup: Select Papers
In this month's edition of our research roundup, we look at the impact of suspending U.S. embassy reporting on air quality; why two extreme heatwaves had different impacts; and how to make vulnerable populations in smaller cities more visible.
Discover Climate LIVE K12 Sessions for 2026-27
From October through June, Columbia Climate School researchers and students will host sessions exploring climate and sustainability topics including biodiversity, climate finance, climate action in professional sports and wildfire management.
Event Recap: "The Rise of Agentic AI: What It Means for Climate Innovation"
Panelists discussed how agentic AI is beginning to reshape Earth systems modeling, improve climate predictions and support adaptive decision-making.
Lamont researchers are in the field studying the dynamics of the planet on every continent and every ocean. Journalists may join and cover expeditions when possible. Learn more about this essential fieldwork.
Events
On November 11 1-2pm ET, join us for the 40th Anniversary of the First Dynamical El Niño Forecast, Operational Climate Prediction, and the Outsized El Niño of 2026, a special Ocean & Climate Physics division seminar. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory climate scientist Mark Cane will open by recounting the understanding of El Niño when he and Steve Zebiak made the first forecast in 1986, the modeling that made the forecast possible, and the reasons it should not have succeeded. Center for Climate Systems Research (CCSR) expert Andy Robertson will describe how Columbia's International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) turned ENSO predictability into practice. And CCSR expert Muhammad Azhar Ehsan will conclude by discussing the Super El Niño currently underway with the latest CCSR/IRI forecasts and an up-to-date analysis. Learn more/add to your calendar.
On November 18 6-8pm ET, join us for Measuring the Invisible: Tracking the Tiny Particles That Shape Our Air and Climate with Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory climate scientist Daniel Westervelt. Tiny airborne particles like dust and smoke are among the most harmful pollutants on Earth, causing millions of premature deaths each year and reshaping the climate, from warming the Arctic to shifting rainfall patterns in Africa. Yet in many of the world’s most affected regions, these dangerous particles and their impacts on health and climate are unmonitored. Dr. Westervelt will discuss his research at every scale, from local measurements in under-monitored areas to global atmospheric simulations. The event begins with a reception from 6-7pm followed by the lecture from 7-8pm. RSVP today!
Our recent Earth Observations conversation, What Are Harmful Algae, Are They Expanding, and Why?, features a conversation with biological oceanographers Andrew Juhl and Ajit Subramaniam of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, hosted by Arthur Lerner-Lam. This event is part of our virtual series Earth Observations: Conversations with Lamont Scientists. View Recording
On display at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are three fascinating art exhibits:
Research as Art featuring works by Lamont researchers (Monell Building through October 30, 2027)
Flags of Science CCL by Selva Ozelli (Lamont Café through June 30, 2027)
Whimsical Science by Betsy Franco-Feeney (Monell Building through May 31, 2027)
Contact Miriam Cinquegrana for more information/appointments.
Lamont-Doherty Hudson River Field Station
We are located at 200 Ferry Road, Piermont, NY at the eastern end of Rockland County's Piermont Pier. During this time of year, the Field Station continues to host community science programs monthly so be sure to contact Marisa Annunziato for dates and times. We will return to open hours for the public when the weather warms in the spring.
Our many educational resources and all our sampling data are regularly updated and always available on the Field Station website! Questions about our school and group education programs or upcoming events at the Lamont-Doherty Hudson River Field Station? Contact Marisa Annunziato.
Follow our Field Station's Instagram @ldeo_fieldstation.
Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor
During the 24th annual Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor, we hosted over 150 high school students from local Rockland County schools at the Field Station over 5 days of sampling. The watershed-wide event is co-organized by the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory as an immersive place-based learning experience for students of all ages. The Field Station was among ~100 sites connecting over 4,000 students and educators to their local waterfronts, spanning the 315 mile long Hudson River, and adjacent waterways including the East and Harlem Rivers.
Our students delved into learning about the unique Hudson River Estuary system by being immersed in a day-long trip to collect field data and increase their understanding of the Hudson in Piermont. Students jumped into a wadable section of the Hudson off Piermont Pier to catch fish and crabs, and to collect sediment cores. They measured the tides and currents over the course of the day, tested the chemical properties, measured turbidity, and learned about the microscopic world of the Hudson by identifying plankton. Visit our Day in the Life website to learn more about the event and the amazing data that has been collected by students of all ages over the years.
Education
Polar Climate Ambassadors Program
Polar Climate Ambassadors Program interns have continued to spread the word about the important science research underway in our polar regions. Recently, they shared the impacts of climate warming on the Snowy Owl population in the Arctic at the Rockland County Sustainability Walk & Fair, and at Lamont-Doherty’s Open House, they shared with visitors how Elephant and Weddell seals in Antarctica help with collected data on water temperature, salinity, and depth under the floating ice shelves. Stay connected through our Polar CAP Instagram @ldeo_polarcap.
Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains: Applications Are Open for Summer 2027!
Two weeks in Vermont. A climate action project to bring home.
Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains (July 5-17, 2027) is a two-week, campus-based program in Vermont that empowers high school students to take action on climate change through hands-on learning and community impact. Now in its seventh year, the program welcomed 58 students from six countries and regions this past summer.
Students learn directly from Climate School faculty and researchers, from hands-on climate science demonstrations like “solar radiation tag” and ocean circulation rotating-tank experiments to role-playing difficult climate conversations with an AI climate skeptic bot. They meet Vermont legislators at the State House in Montpelier, then take on the role of negotiators in a Conference of the Parties (COP) simulation. They also pitch circular models for linear systems like textiles and food waste in a Shark Tank-inspired challenge.
The learning continues in the field, where students take tree cores, survey macroinvertebrates, collect water samples from Lake Bomoseen, and glean produce at the Intervale Center in Burlington to explore local food access.
Every student also develops a Climate Action Project to bring home, with past projects ranging from school composting to goat grazing for wildfire resilience. Alumni stay connected through a network, and some return to share how their work has grown.
Want a closer look? Read the full story on State of the Planet.
Need-based scholarships are available. Apply now to join a community of young changemakers creating solutions for a sustainable future!
Climate LIVE K12 features live lectures and interactive activities with our scientists and experts for K-12 students, educators, families, and the public! FREE! Check out our rich YouTube archive of all past workshops.
Up Next: On November 18, 4-4:30pm ET, join Columbia Climate School expert Jenna Lawrence for Biodiversity Matters: What Is It, and Why Should We Care? All living things are endlessly interconnected, cleaning our water and air, stabilizing our soil, regulating our climate, and providing food and medicine. Join us to explore how biological diversity—from genes to species to ecosystems and evolutionary processes—is fundamental to human societies and underpins every aspect of our economies. RSVP today (free but registration required)!
Lamont in the Media (Select Stories)
The Biggest El Niño in Recorded History
StarTalk
Scientists Were Unsure of How Microplastics Harmed the Body — Until Now
The Washington Post
Two Thousand Years Ago, a New Ice Age Began—but Human-Caused Climate Change Recently Reversed It, According to New Research
Smithsonian Magazine
New Yorkers Don't Compost. Will They Be Fined Into Compliance?
Reason
This New Research About Microplastics Is Pretty Damn Scary
Futurism
New Research Shows How Microplastics and Water Interactions Could Lead to Cell Damage
Los Angeles Times
Public Invited to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
News12
Zero Waste Is a Core Pillar of the Action Agenda at COP31 for the First Time
TRVST
Scientists May Have Finally Pinpointed How Microplastics Harm the Body
People
Microplastics Are Not Chemically Inert After All, Producing Cell-Damaging Hydroxyl Radicals in Plain Water, Lab Study Finds
Nature World News
In Lower Manhattan, a Cleaner Air/Congestion-Pricing-Policy Link, Researchers Find
Daily Kos
This New Research About Microplastics Is Pretty Damn Scary
Futurism
Warmer Climate Could Reshape Hurricane Risk and Its Relationship with El Niño Around Hawai’i
Phys.org
Massive Rock Avalanche Likely Triggered Nepal Flash Flood, Say Scientists
The Times of India
The Planetary Wave Headed for California Isn’t What You Think It Is
The Verge
