LDEO September 2024 Newsletter: Earth & Climate Science News
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Decades of Discovery
This fall, LDEO kicks off a year-long celebration of its 75 years of groundbreaking scientific discovery! Marie Tharp’s pioneering work to map the seafloor, helping prove the theory of plate tectonics, is one of our well-known accomplishments. After decades of work that included publications of sea-floor maps of the Indian (1967), Atlantic (1968), Pacific (1969), and Arctic (1971) oceans with the National Geographic Society, in 1977, Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen published the first map of the entire world's ocean floor. This became the iconic map that hangs on university walls throughout the world. “Establishing the rift valley and the mid-ocean ridge that went all the way around the world for 40,000 miles—that was something important. You could only do that once. You can’t find anything bigger than that, at least on this planet,” said Tharp. (Reproduced with permission from Marie Tharp Maps LLC and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.)
SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, October 19 10am-4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY! Open House is free and open to the public, with a $5 suggested donation. Learn More
A Collaborative Approach to Comprehending Glacial Retreat
Greenland is melting—but why and how quickly is the subject of research by polar climate scientist Marco Tedesco.
Ancient Plant, Insect Bits Confirm Greenland Melted in Recent Geologic Past
Bits of plants and insects under thousands of meters of ice at the center of Greenland show that tundra existed there within the last million years.
New 400-Year Record Shows Great Barrier Reef Faces Catastrophic Damage
The six hottest years faced by the world's largest reef system have occurred since 2004, with corresponding mass bleaching events.
Learning About Complex Climate Risks
This Climate School summer class teaches students that climate impacts do not impact the environment or society in isolation.
Planting Some Tree Species May Worsen, Not Improve, NYC Air, Says New Study
New York is planting large numbers of trees in order to improve the city's livability. But emissions from some species interact with tailpipe and building pollutants to form smog.
Combating Microplastics With AI Real-Time Monitoring
Columbia Climate School and Columbia Engineering win a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop AI for sustainable waterways and ocean health.
Welcome to our new incoming fall 2024 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES) PhD students!
Hudson River Field Station
Uncovering Climate Impacts on the Hudson River Estuary
Throughout their 6-week high school internship program, the Next Generation of Hudson River Educators interns began to investigate the impacts of climate change on the Hudson River Estuary through hands-on field explorations and data collection. The interns delved deeper into the data they collected to help uncover stories and increase our understanding of climate impacts. The Next Gen interns culminated their summer with us by creating scientific posters highlighting the work they had been doing throughout the program. Projects included:
Exploring how moon jellies and Leidy’s comb jellies are increasing in number with increasing water temperatures, a phenomenon that is being documented in other marine systems.
How increased populations can lead to overgrazing of the plankton communities in the Hudson and deplete food sources for other Hudson species.
Assessing the plankton community in the brackish zone of the Hudson Estuary to understand how they are dependent on salinity and water temperature, parameters that can be altered by climate change.
How sea level rise and other impacts of climate change might disproportionately impact communities of color.
We are excited to see what our sampling with the 2025 Next-Gen Program next summer uncovers!
Science Saturdays
Continue to join us at the Hudson River Field Station (200 Ferry Rd, Piermont NY) for Science Saturdays throughout September from 11am to 3pm for a fun-filled day of science! Get a chance to check out the various displays inside the Field Station and participate in different activities such as learning about Hudson food webs and plankton sampling! Questions? Contact Marisa Annunziato.
Education
Professional Learning workshops are for working professionals and adult learners who want to upskill and explore new topics to further job-related interests without the commitment of a degree program, developing an understanding of climate and sustainability challenges with our experts.
Due to substantial interest in this topic and overwhelmingly positive feedback from our spring participants, we are offering Climate Finance-The Challenges of Transitioning from Funding Climate Change to Funding Net-Zero again for the fall 2024 semester! This workshop will explore a wide array of issues and controversies regarding climate finance with the objective of helping participants understand the challenges of mobilizing money to mitigate GHG emissions and adapt to the physical impacts of climate change. Discussion topics include the key actors in the transition, financial tools that can be employed, the role of government regulations, ESG and impact investing, and the role markets should play. Register today!
Climate LIVE K12
Climate LIVE K12 features live lectures and interactive activities with our scientists and experts for K-12 students, educators, families, and the public! FREE!
Stay tuned for the 2024-2025 series, and check out our YouTube archive of all past workshops.
Polar Climate Ambassadors Program
Over the summer, our Polar Climate Ambassadors had the opportunity to explore polar climate through the perspectives of some of our climate research scientists:
Jim Davis provided background on sea level rise and GRACE satellite as a tool for understanding this on a global scale.
Karlee Prince discussed isolation basins in Greenland as a tool for determining past sea level in that region.
Jacob Anderson spoke about his upcoming work collecting samples for exposure dating using cosmogenic nuclides.
Clara Chang discussed determining historic local sea level using pollen and XRF sampling from sediment cores.
Emily Marcet outlined effective climate communication.
Throughout the summer, students participated in Science Saturdays at the Field Station, sharing activities and games that they had developed as a way to open a climate conversation.
Congratulations on a great summer, and stay tuned as some of our CAP students join an upcoming Climate Live K12 to share tools for starting a meaningful climate conversation!
Events
Columbia Climate School has once again been selected as university partner for Climate Week NYC, an annual convening of climate leaders to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change. Join us for events and follow our coverage.
On September 30 6-7pm, join us for our next virtual Earth Series lecture, Building Resilient Food Systems, moderated by Columbia Climate School interim dean Jeffrey Shaman. Experts Jessica Fanzo and Michael Puma will unpack the complexities of food system resilience and present actionable strategies to help shape a more secure and sustainable future. Register Today
Mark your calendar! Columbia Giving Day is Tuesday, October 1. Your gift to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, an unparalleled Earth science research powerhouse for 75 years, will support scientific discovery for the future of our planet.
Lamont in the Media (Select Stories)
Plate Tectonics Pioneer Challenges the Way Earth Works
MIT Technology Review
New York City’s Trees Work Hard. Still, They Could Use a Little Help.
New York Times
The Great Barrier Reef Is Dying, Can We Save It?
KCBS Radio
7 Years After 'Summer of Hell,' the Subway Is Approaching Another Crisis
New York Times
Summer in the City: Extreme Heat
Now Let's Talk!
New Fossils Reveal an Ice-Free Greenland. It's Bad News for Sea Level Rise.
Grist
Greenland Fossil Discovery Reveals Increased Risk of Sea-Level Impacts
ECO Magazine
The Benefits of Empowering Community College Geoscience Faculty
Eos
Hellish NYC Commutes Reveal Aging Wires Are No Match for Extreme Heat
Bloomberg
A Clearer Picture of Cascadia Emerges from Modern Mapping
Temblor
Armed with Saran Wrap, She Sinks in the Muck to Save the Planet
New York Times
Mercury Could Have an 11-mile Underground Layer of Diamonds, Researchers Say
CNN
