LDEO February 2023 Newsletter: Earth Science News
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Uncertainties and Opportunities
“Salt marshes store about 50 times more carbon than terrestrial forests, despite their relatively small area,” says Lamont paleoclimatologist Dorothy Peteet, who studies how to preserve the carbon that is stored in coastal wetlands. Here, Piermont Marsh in Piermont, New York. Credit: Brian DeGasperis, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
What Is Blue Carbon and How Can It Help Fight Climate Change?
Researchers at Columbia Climate School discuss the benefits and challenges of working with carbon from ocean and coastal ecosystems.
Explorer of Deep Earth Wins Vetlesen Prize
Using sophisticated equipment, David Kohlstedt has recreated the pressure, temperature and chemical conditions in the Earth’s mantle, which humans cannot observe directly. His findings have laid the basis for understanding many of the processes that drive the planet’s dynamics.
The Paradox of Lithium
The clean energy transition depends heavily on lithium, but mining this element is not “clean.” We must not fall into the same traps from which we are trying to free ourselves.
Flooding in California: What Went Wrong, and What Comes Next
Climate School experts help to explain this devastating weather and what it means in the broader conversation of climate change and disaster response.
What Uncertainties Remain in Climate Science?
Climate scientists are still uncertain about a number of phenomena that could affect our future. What are the reasons for this uncertainty?
Spring 2023 Student Research Opportunities
The Climate School is offering three new research assistant opportunities during the Spring 2023 semester.
New York City's Greenery Absorbs a Surprising Amount of Its Carbon Emissions
A hyper-local study of vegetation shows that the city’s trees and grass often cancel out all the CO2 released from cars, trucks and buses on summer days.
Vetlesen
Physicist David Kohlstedt, whose pioneering experiments have shown how processes at inaccessible depths drive what happens on the planet's surface, is the winner of the 2023 Vetlesen Prize for significant achievement in the Earth sciences. Learn more about Kohlstedt's work and this prestigious honor.
President Shafik's Visit to LDEO
Among the stops on a recent tour of Columbia campuses by Minouche Shafik (at right), the University’s next president, was Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, including a meet-and-greet reception, presentations, and visit to the Core Repository hosted by Lamont director / Columbia Climate School co-founding dean Maureen Raymo (at left). Credit: Eileen Barroso, Columbia University
Annual Report
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory seeks fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution, and future of the natural world. In our 2022 Annual Report, we highlight our accomplishments from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Events
Our next virtual Earth Series lecture will be on Monday, February 27, from 6pm to 7pm ET. Join us to hear moderator Alex Halliday, Founding Dean, Columbia Climate School with Diana Hernandez, Mailman School of Public Health, Radley Horton, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and Cecilia Sorensen, Columbia University Irving Medical Center discuss Blazing Temperatures, Broken Records: Responding to the Global Heat Crisis. Register here.
Hudson River Field Station
Attention, high school students! The Next Generation of Hudson River Educators is accepting applications for summer 2023.
Next Generation of Hudson River Educators
The Hudson River Field Station will once again host a summer program focused on Hudson River estuary science to engage Rockland County high school students historically underrepresented in STEM. Students will cultivate a personal connection and understanding of the Hudson River estuary through hands-on field experiences. Fortified with their newfound Hudson River knowledge, the students will strive to educate and connect communities throughout Rockland. By collecting community perspectives on the Hudson, the students will empower the diverse cultural communities of Rockland to share their current and historical connection to the Hudson. Student numbers are limited so apply early! Applications are open to current 10th, 11th, and 12th graders (must be at least 16 years old). Learn more about the program, and apply by March 31st, 2023.
Lamont Intern Program for Undergraduates
Our 2022 interns came from over 20 colleges and universities. The 10-week program is led by Lamont scientists Dallas Abbott and Mike Kaplan. Credit: Bill Menke
Applications for 2023 Summer Program are live! Our Lamont Summer Intern Program is for undergraduates from U.S. colleges and universities. Our Earth Intern Program is for Columbia and Barnard undergraduates. Applications are due by February 22, 2023, with Letters of Recommendation due by February 29, 2023. Learn More
Education
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and K-12 Educators
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): Beyond Basic Science- Connecting Climate to Communities is a research experience to introduce undergraduates and K-12 educators to transdisciplinary science and how the latest climate change research is gathered, analyzed, and communicated to stakeholders and policymakers. Participants engage in one of the 2023 Research Projects, participate in professional development activities beyond direct research, and build professional relationships and a network in a world-renowned research environment. The 10-week undergraduate program runs from June 5-August 11, 2023, and the 6-week K-12 educator program runs from July 5-August 11, 2023. Applications are due February 17 at 5:00pm ET.
Explore Summer 2023 Pre-College Programs at the Columbia Climate School. Applications are open.
Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains is a 2-week campus-based program for high school students taking place from July 2-July 14, 2023 in Castleton, Vermont to mobilize action and drive impact in response to our warming planet. Students will complete the program feeling empowered to address a climate challenge in their own communities.
Columbia Climate Corps climate- and sustainability-focused traveling programs combine intentional travel with in-depth educational opportunities. Students gain critical skills and knowledge through excursions and place-based learning, discover and develop new and existing passions around climate change, and build lasting friendships. Our summer 2023 travel programs include Chile and Peru (July 22-August 11), Iceland (July 20-August 1), and Alaska (July 17-July 28).
Lamont in the Media (Selected Stories)
What Earth's Ebb and Flow of Atmospheric Dust Has to Do With Climate
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Sending Signals to Droids Through the Ice on Ocean Worlds
Astrobiology
How New York City’s Trees and Shrubs Help Clear Its Air
The New York Times
15 Years Ago, A Spacecraft Swung by Mercury to Beat the Sun's Gravity
Inverse Magazine
