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What Caused the Triassic-Jurassic Extinction?
Many have heard the conventional theory: 66 million years ago, a meteor struck Earth, triggering global winter and the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Less is known about the previous extinction 202 million years ago, which wiped out the giant reptiles at the top of the food chain and paved the way for dinosaurs to thrive.
A new study provides the first physical evidence that cold snaps at the poles and lower latitudes triggered this Triassic-Jurassic extinction. Triassic dinosaurs that lived in the polar regions were already adapted the cold, and survived the drop in temperatures to become the dominant species.
Read more about this study on State of the Planet, and check out more news from the Columbia Climate School below.
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The Links Between Air Pollution and Climate
Tiny aerosols can have big impacts on human health, the atmosphere, and the climate, but the relationships between them are complicated. How can we better understand the positive - and negative - effects of reducing aerosol emissions?
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Estimating Past Earthquakes in NYC
Large earthquakes might be possible in the NYC metro, but they are probably so rare that it's hard to know when - or how big - they might be. By examining large boulders left at the end of the last ice age, Lamont's William Menke hopes to find out.
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Mitigating Groundwater Depletion in India
Irrigation systems powered by subsidized electricity could help India meet its food security goals - but may come at the expense of groundwater. A new study identifies changes that would promote more sustainable irrigation, with potential improvements to average farm income.
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Alumni Spotlight: Jeffrey Fralick
In May 2020, Jeffrey Fralick was one of the first students to graduate from the MS Sustainability Science program. In a new interview, he talks about forging a path through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to find his dream job as a climate risk analyst.
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Upcoming Events
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Climate and Environmental Justice in Harlem
Hear from local researchers, elected officials, and community leaders on the challenges and the opportunities to empower communities to lead the way into a cleaner, safer, and healthier future.
Saturday, October 8, 2022 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
SAVE THE DATE: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House
Whether you’re an aspiring young scientist or a long-time science enthusiast, you’re sure to enjoy Lamont-Doherty’s Open House. Tour a lab, participate in hands-on earth science demonstrations, and learn from world-renowned researchers about their latest discoveries. More information and registration details will be posted on the Open House website when available.
Please visit our events page for complete events listings.
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Media Spotlight: Heat Waves
Record-breaking heat waves in US and Europe prove climate change is already here, experts say (ABC News)
Extreme heat is a "basic consequence of climate change," and the fact that it's happening in several different locations at the same time is characteristic of the average global temperatures rising, Jason Smerdon, a climate scientist for the Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York, told ABC News.
Why Europe Is Becoming a Heat Wave Hot Spot (New York Times)
Low-pressure zones tend to draw air toward them. In this case, the low-pressure zone has been steadily drawing air from North Africa toward it and into Europe. “It’s pumping hot air northward,” said Kai Kornhuber, a researcher at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, part of Columbia University.
Wildfires and record temperatures ravage Europe, extreme heat takes toll on U.S. (ABC News: Nightline)
Radley Horton talks to Nightline as the U.K. sees its highest-ever recorded temperature while wildfires rage in Spain, France and Portugal. In the U.S., extreme heat takes a toll on workers and infrastructure across the country.
As NYC sizzles, research shows why some neighborhoods are hotter than others (NY1)
“There is more concrete less green space, less shade and in some areas I would imagine less air corridors to get wind moving through a city but that really is rooted in a history of structural inequality in many American cities, including New York,” said Cascade Tuholske, a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia’s Earth Institute.
"Smart" surfaces could chill overheating cities (Axios)
When it comes to smart surfaces, "a lot of interesting stuff is happening on government property" like libraries, schools and city halls, said Amy Turner, a senior fellow at Columbia Law School's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law who leads the Smart Surfaces Coalition's regulatory mapping initiative. "There’s a lot of potential for the local government to use its own buildings or land to promote these policies," she said. "It can help really prove the market for these technologies."
Extreme heat is driving up demand for natural gas, along with prices (Marketplace)
What do you do when temps are in the 90s (or hotter) and the air is extremely humid? Turn on your air conditioner, if you’re lucky enough to have one. “What we see in the middle of these heat waves is increasing demand for energy, particularly electricity,” said Melissa Lott at Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy.
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More Good Reads
In their new essay in Foreign Policy, Jason Bordoff and Meghan O’Sullivan argue that Congress's failure to act on the energy provisions in the Democrats’ reconciliation bill threatens not only the United States’ climate goals, but also its national and energy security.
The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment has published a list of suggested climate provisions for extractive contracts to improve governance of a just energy transition.
Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a global research scholar with the Center on Global Energy Policy, talks to Vox about the unfolding gas crisis in Europe.
Manishka De Mel talks about her path from observing environmental issues growing up in Sri Lanka to managing a portfolio of conservation and development projects as a senior staff associate at the Center for Climate Systems Research.
Citing a white paper from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recently denied an air quality permit to a cryptocurrency mining operation upstate.
Columbia Energy Exchange host Bill Loveless talks with Radley Horton about this year’s brutal conditions that have hit Europe, North America, and Asia over the last few months.
Climate School lecturer Lisa Dale talks to Columbia News about her new sustainability primer, Climate Change Adaptation.
Students in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program visited the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site in Brooklyn to learn about the ongoing remediation efforts.
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