Research News 2020

In a talk last week, celebrated conservationist and photographer Cristina Mittermeier shared her quest to save the sea.

In this episode of Pod of the Planet, we celebrate the life of Marie Tharp and the inspiration she has been and continues to be to many scientists today.

Celebrating the science and legacy of Lamont's Marie Tharp.

The pioneering mapmaker explains how she and her colleagues discovered underwater mountain ranges 40,000 miles long, and helped to show that the continents are not stationary.

The Secondary School Field Research Program offers a diverse group of young people a unique opportunity to do field and laboratory research.

GreenDrill promises to reveal the ice sheet’s past in unprecedented detail and enable more accurate predictions of how it may add to rising seas in the 21st century.

Scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory use models and observations to understand tropical storms and advance the science of predicting them.

New study estimates that a ton of lead dust may have been deposited in parks, homes, and schools near the cathedral.

Scientists have filled a gaping hole in the world’s climate records by reconstructing 600 years of soil-moisture swings across southern and central South America.

Climate change will intensify winds that steer hurricanes north over Texas in the late 21st century, increasing the odds for fast-moving storms like 2008’s Ike, compared with slow-movers like 2017’s Harvey, says new research.

A scientist reflects on the potential harms of chasing whales with boats to try to get that perfect snapshot.

The Earth Institute’s inaugural professional development training effort will provide cutting-edge content and tools to prepare K-12 educators to teach climate change in the classroom.

Changes in carbon emissions, individual behaviors, and government responses will have a big impact on the environment and our ability to combat climate change.

A student group examined the types of microplastics entering the river, and created a way for citizen scientists to help with the research.

Research by Center for Climate and Life Fellow Pierre Dutrieux will lead to greater understanding of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet’s future stability and associated sea level rise.

Social distancing and mask-wearing are here to stay for the foreseeable future. This guide will help you safely disinfect and reuse some types of disposable masks.

A simple fascination with winter and weather patterns led D’Arrigo to become a globe-trotting scientist who collects and analyzes important data from tree rings.

Recent news and events about Lamont science.

Pollution is going down, but temperatures could still rise. Here’s why.

A new study finds that ocean absorption of CO2 rises and falls along with human activity and natural phenomena. The findings are important for understanding how much the oceans will offset future climate change.

Research suggests that even a small increase in long-term exposure to fine particles leads to an increase in the mortality rate of up to 8 percent.

Sustainable development student Isabelle Seckler explains how nature taught her the most important lessons she has learned all year.

A committee has outlined what the U.S. National Science Foundation should focus on over the next decade.

Earth Institute faculty offer their encouragement and advice for the newest crop of graduates who will change the world.

A new primer lays out the basics of climate science in compact form.

Widely considered a screen against contamination, clay layers may actually enhance arsenic leakage into some aquifers, study finds.

Driven by changing climate, a uniquely resilient organism is taking over the Arabian Sea, disrupting food chains, fisheries, oil refineries, and water desalination plants.

In a new study, researchers have proposed a mechanism for how mega-canyons under northern Greenland’s ice sheet formed: from a series of catastrophic outburst floods that suddenly and repeatedly drained lakes of melting ice-sheet water.

Estimates say the city releases about 50 million tons of carbon a year, but no one has actually measured it. A new project is trying to change that.

On Earth Day and every day, The Earth Institute and its Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory work to understand and protect our planet.

Rapid development in flood-prone zones during recent decades helped boost the amount of property exposed to the 2018 hurricane substantially, a new study says.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. To celebrate, we’re sharing images of places and projects around the world that highlight our planet’s incredible beauty.

Scientists say a long-feared megadrought, worse than anything in recorded history, seems to be starting up in southwestern North America.

Kevin Uno, a Lamont paleoclimatologist and Center for Climate and Life Fellow, studies how abrupt changes in climate affected Neolithic human settlement, diet, and abandonment in northwest Africa.

New GPS data show birds adjust to shifting snow conditions as climate warms.

Through ‘EI Live,’ scientific experts from across the Earth Institute will share aspects of their work through live lectures, interactive activities, and demos. The series launches April 6.

Earth Institute experts in public health and disaster response are publishing leading-edge findings and advising governments on the coronavirus pandemic. Researchers are also examining the local and global fallout for environment, climate, energy and health systems, philanthropy, culture, and education.

Researchers are measuring severe drops in pollutants at the ground level, but warn that the benefits will be short-lived unless we take away some longer-term lessons.

The movement of sea ice between Arctic countries is expected to increase significantly this century, raising the risk of more widely transporting pollutants like microplastics and oil, according to new research.

‘Deep Convection’ is a podcast about climate, science, and life.

The three projects are among the top contenders in the 100&Change competition, selected from 755 proposals.

Always weather-obsessed, Fralick enrolled in the Sustainability Science program because he wants to take on the threats of climate change and incorporate sustainable practices into everyday life.

A new paper provides a comprehensive overview of our understanding of how humans are affecting the global climate system, and its application in legal settings.

While much of the world is planning for flooding and inundation from changes in sea level, Greenland is facing a much different future.

With mounting evidence of health and environmental impacts, fracking faces opposition from many of the leading Democratic candidates for president.

Diversity is key to resilience, says new study.

A scientist who has played a key role in documenting modern sea-level rise and its causes is to receive the 2020 Vetlesen Prize for achievement in the Earth sciences.

For about the last 10 years, environmental law professor Karl Coplan has been trying to winnow down his direct footprint of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Leading researchers design formal wear with a scientific edge.