State of the Planet » Global Warming

Swiss ski resorts are using geotextiles to prevent accelerated glacial melting, but researchers have found this strategy too expensive for use in global-scale glacier protection. The post Geote...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/04/14/geotextiles-slow-glacial-melt-cost/

The discovery of fossil plants below a mile of Greenland ice indicates that the ice sheet completely melted in the past, and suggests it could rapidly do so again. The post Fossil Plants at Bot...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/03/15/fossil-plants-bottom-greenland-sheet-ice-warn-future-melting/

Researchers have reconstructed past sea levels in the western Mediterranean in new detail by sampling coastal cave formations. The post Reconstructing 6.5 Million Years of Western Mediterranean...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/01/21/reconstructing-6-5-million-years-western-mediterranean-sea-levels/

Scientists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies find that 2020 was statistically equal with 2016, continuing a long-term trend. The post 2020 Tied With 2016 as the Hottest Year on Re...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/01/15/2020-tied-2016-hottest-year-record/

Large numbers of icebergs that drifted unusually far from Antarctica before melting into ocean waters have been key to initiating ice ages of the past, says a new study. The post Far-Drifting A...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/01/13/far-drifting-antarctic-icebergs-trigger-ice-ages/

New research suggests that trees may handle predicted drier conditions better than current models suggest. The post Some Amazon Regions May Resist Climate-Driven Drying Better Than Thought app...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/11/20/amazon-regions-resistant-climate-change/

Researchers from around the world have established a new archive of data documenting changes in the movements of animals in the far north. The post A New Global Archive Helps Researchers Chart ...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/11/05/new-global-archive-helps-researchers-chart-changes-arctic-animals-behavior/

An international team suggests that research centers around the world using numerical models to predict future climate change should include simulations of past climates. The post Data on Past ...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/11/05/data-past-key-predicting-future-climate-scientists-say/

To measure algal blooms across large regions of the Greenland ice, and understand their effects on melting over time, scientists are turning to space. The post Scientists Harness Satellites to ...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/10/15/scientists-harness-satellites-track-algae-growth-greenland-ice-sheet/

If CO2 is heavier than oxygen, why doesn’t it stay near the ground? The short answer: Earth’s atmosphere isn’t like a sealed bottle of wine. The post You Asked: How Does Carbon Dioxide Ge...

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/09/23/carbon-dioxide-distribution-atmosphere/