Below is a guide to notable research publications. columbia climate school Center and affiliates from December 9th to 13th American Geophysical Union ConferenceIt is the world’s largest gathering of Earth and space scientists. The conference will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. and online around the world. The conversation here is roughly chronological. The time is Eastern US. For more information: Science News Editor Kevin Krajick, kkrajick@climate.columbia.edu | +1 917-361-7766
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Are land and ocean heat waves linked?
Ianna Beckris, Noel SiegertLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
In a series of conversations, we investigate the smaller exploratory question of whether heat waves on land and sea are related. Looking at data from 1940 to 2023, Bekris identified simultaneous land and ocean heat waves along coastal regions and found that these heat waves were much stronger than heat waves that occurred only on land or ocean. And she says the characteristics of marine and ocean-terrestrial heat waves are changing more rapidly than purely terrestrial heat waves. Siegert examined data from 65 coastal cities and found that noticeable ocean warming often follows land heat waves. However, in some high latitude areas the opposite is true.
Bekris: Monday, December 9, 9:20-9:30 | Salon A | GC11B-05
Siegert: Monday, December 9, 9:40-9:50 | Salon A | GC11B-07
What actually drives migration in Africa and Central America?
Fabien CotierEarth System Integrated Information Center
Existing narratives about human migration in Africa and Central America emphasize poverty, political violence, and climate change. Cottier and colleagues say the evidence isn’t necessarily adequate. A closer look at border unrest in southern Europe and the United States suggests that, in many cases, more fundamental changes lie in information about migration routes and opportunities in destination countries, along with the number of people from certain countries already in those countries. , suggests a process that is itself nourishing.
Monday, December 9, 8:30-12:20 | Foster Hall BC | abstract
How can we finally stop the spread of wildfires?
caroline joaoLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Even though wildfires are increasing exponentially in the western United States, there are still many areas left to burn. Is there an end in sight? Juang looks at how we can finally stop the spread of fires in the coming decades. She said those factors include decreasing availability of remaining fuel, changes in fuel type, terrain and future climate.
Monday, December 9, 13:40-17:50 | Foster Hall BC | abstract
Are California’s aquifers being stressed beyond repair?
Stacy LaRochelleLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
California’s prime farm areas are sinking as farmers pump groundwater. It has been assumed that the aquifer could eventually be refilled with better management and moderately favorable weather. But Larochelle warns of a breaking point where the space that was once water will become permanently compressed and cannot be recharged. Using satellite data and thousands of groundwater and geological measurements, she shows that subsidence occurred in elastic pore space during the relatively wet years of 2016-2020, with the potential for recovery. But during the dry years of 2020-2022, compression suddenly accelerated in places to more than a foot per year, suggesting an irreversible collapse.
Monday, December 9, 13:40-17:30 | Foster Hall BC | abstract
How does climate affect infectious diseases?
Jeffrey Shamancolumbia climate school
Shaman, interim dean of the Climate School, has authored some of the key epidemiological studies during the Covid pandemic. In this talk, he will cover a wide range of factors that may affect how climate change may affect the prevalence, transmissibility and geography of different infectious diseases. This includes molecular, individual and population scale phenomena and how these potentially interact with weather and climate variability.
Tuesday, December 10, 9:06-9:15 | Ballroom A | U21A-05
‘Disappeared’ undersea volcano could pose tsunami risk
dallas abbottLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
A massive underwater explosion off Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific in 2022 was a reminder of the tsunami risk from active volcanoes. Abbott says there may be a lot more to it than we think. Based on existing maps of hydrothermal vents and active volcanoes, she estimates that there are at least 160 “missing” active volcanoes, including those that erupted in historical periods for which accurate records do not exist. If a recent eruption produced significant sulfate aerosols and a tsunami, it may be possible to locate them by matching ice core sulfate dates with 298 tsunami dates in the World Historical Tsunami Database, which have no known sources.
Tuesday, December 10, 13:40-17:30 | Foster Hall BC | abstract
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Reunion Party
This annual reunion gathers hundreds of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory employees and alumni from around the world. Lots of food and drinks. We welcome all journalists covering AGU. This is a unique opportunity to get in touch, hear informally about the work being done, and have some fun.
Tuesday, December 10, 6:30-8:30 PM | Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW
Greenland is on the rise, but it may not be a good thing.
Lauren LeWrightLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Sea levels around Greenland are falling, not rising. That’s partly because so much ice has melted that the land is rebounding. But basically all Greenlanders live along the coast, and lower water levels in already shallow harbors could eventually disrupt travel and fishing. Using a series of data and models, Lewright and his colleagues project that water levels could fall from 1.4 meters to 3.7 meters in the 21st century. They are combining these estimates with new high-resolution bathymetric maps to determine how specific communities will be affected and how they can respond.
Wednesday, December 11, 8:40-8:50 | 202A | GC31E-02
Greenland Rising project webpage
Benefits of mine tailings?
Peter KelemenLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Geochemist Kelemen has long led research into how carbon is stored underground, using natural chemical reactions in certain types of rock. His work extends to large stocks of mine tailings, which he believes could pull double duty by reacting with carbon and generating significant amounts of previously unrecovered nickel and cobalt needed for renewable energy infrastructure. He explains a new way to achieve this.
Wednesday, December 11, 8:40-8:50 | 154A-B | GC31C-02
Mapping American Rocks for Carbon Sequestration
Tundra sound changes
Natalie BolmanLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Small forests of shrubby balsam poplar are scattered across the northern Alaskan tundra, and these forests are expected to expand as the Arctic warms. To help understand potential ecological impacts, Boelman and colleagues are studying life on this small island using microphones that record the sounds of insects and birds. Among other things, they found greater bird activity and changes in insect life in forests compared to tundra. This research is related to a large-scale tundra project to understand the impact of human presence using sound processed by artificial intelligence.
Wednesday, December 11, 9:10-9:20 | 151A | B31A-05
Unexpected human migration in the ancient Arctic
redmond steinLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
About 4,500 years ago, the first humans arrived in the Arctic’s northernmost glacial region, northeastern Greenland. They disappeared, reappeared, and then mysteriously disappeared again over thousands of years. One team is working in this still uninhabited area to understand environmental conditions that may have played a role. Unexpected result: People appear to come in during the cold period and leave during the warm period. This result runs counter to conventional wisdom.
Wednesday, December 11, 13:40-17:30 | Foster Hall BC | abstract
Wandel Dal Project Website
Nanoplastics in tap water
Giovana De Loia, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia researchers made headlines earlier this year when they showed that a single plastic water bottle can contain hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics. Nanoplastics are tiny particles of microplastics that break down much further and have unknown health effects. Using the same new technology, they turned their attention to tap water across the United States. A preliminary study of New York City tap water found plastic in it and found that the number of particles increased exponentially as they became smaller.
Wednesday, December 11, 16:40-16:50 | 102 AB | H34G-05
Huge amounts of nanoplastics found in bottled water (Project Leader: Jan Beisan)
environment rocket launch cost
Kostas TsigaridisGoddard Space Institute
The number of rocket launches is soaring as governments and companies send hundreds of satellites and other vehicles into space each year. (pun coincidental) That number will grow exponentially in the coming years. As rockets get bigger and bigger, each launch produces massive amounts of unregulated emissions of soot, NOx, carbon monoxide and other substances. And as skies become increasingly crowded, emissions of metals and other materials from debris flowing back into the atmosphere could rival emissions from launches. Tsigardis will discuss cutting-edge modeling of how this could affect all levels of the atmosphere, including its impact on the climate.
Thursday, December 12, 8:44-8:47 | eLightning Theater 1 | A41F-04
Could climate change bring deadly cold to the tropics?
Radley Hortoncolumbia climate school
The northern jet stream generally flows in an almost straight line, separating cold polar air from warm air to the south. But climate change has been blamed for creating huge disturbances in rivers, bringing heat waves to the peaks of the disturbances and cold waves to the troughs of temperate latitudes. Horton and his colleagues say there may be cases in the future when extreme cold waves can penetrate tropical regions where people are left without protection. They explore potential mechanisms and identify areas that may be vulnerable.
Friday, December 13, 9:04-9:12 | 202B | A51D-05
Can we store carbon in the Northeastern United States?
jack turnneyLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Some forms of volcanic basalt are thought to have great potential for converting carbon emissions into solid minerals, and there may be significant amounts of basalt on the seafloor in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. However, these features have certainly never been mapped or sampled. New project uses high-resolution aeromagnetic and gravity surveys combined with existing satellite and seismic data to map the oceanic distribution of basalt that can be drilled and used to pump emissions from power plants, industrial facilities and other point sources of pollution along the coast. This is what we do. .
Friday, December 13, 13:40-17:30 | Foster Hall BC | abstract
Article about the project
