Introducing notable research presentations. columbia climate school The center and its affiliates run from December 9th to 13th. American Geophysical Union Conferencethe 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 will be held online around the world. The stories here are arranged roughly in chronological order. Time is US Eastern Time. For more information: Science News Editor Kevin Krajick, kkrajick@climate.columbia.edu | +1 917-361-7766
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Are land and ocean heatwaves related?
Yanna Beclis, Noel SiegertLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
The back-to-back talks will consider a little-considered question: whether there is a link between heatwaves on land and at sea. Examining data from 1940 to 2023, Bechris identified simultaneous land and ocean heat waves occurring along coastal regions, and identified heat waves that occur only on land or at sea. I discovered that it is much more powerful than waves. And the characteristics of ocean and ocean-land heat waves are changing more rapidly than pure land heat waves, she says. Siegert looked at data from 65 coastal cities and found that while significant ocean warming often follows terrestrial heatwaves, the opposite is true in some high latitudes.
Becris: Monday, December 9th, 9:20-9:30 |Salon A | GC11B-05
Siegert: Monday, December 9th, 9:40-9:50 |Salon A | GC11B-07
What is really driving immigration from Africa and Central America?
Fabien CottierEarth Integrated Information Center
Existing narratives about human migration from Africa and Central America emphasize poverty, political violence, and climate change. Cottier et al. say the evidence is not always consistent. A closer look at border insecurity in southern Europe and the United States reveals that changes in information about migration routes and opportunities in destination countries are often more fundamental, as well as changes in information about migration routes and opportunities in destination countries, as well as changes in information about migration routes and opportunities in destination countries. They say the number of people from the country is more fundamental. , suggesting a process of food for itself.
Monday, December 9th, 8:30-12:20 | Poster Hall BC | abstract
What will ultimately stop forest fires from spreading?
caroline juanLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Despite the sharp increase in forest fires in the western United States, many areas remain unburned. Is the end in sight? Juan is looking at what could ultimately stop the spread of fires in the coming decades. Factors include decreasing fuel reserves, changing fuel types, topography, and future climate, she said.
Monday, December 9th, 13:40-17:50 | Poster Hall BC | abstract
Are California’s aquifers irreparably destroyed?
stacey larochelleLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Major farming areas in California are sinking as farmers pump groundwater. It has been thought that with better management and suitable weather, the aquifer could eventually be reclaimed. But Larochelle warns of a breaking point, where the space once covered by water could become permanently compressed and no longer able to be recharged. Using satellite data and thousands of groundwater and geological measurements, she shows that subsidence occurred in elastic pore spaces during a relatively wet period from 2016 to 2020, suggesting the possibility of recovery. I showed that there is. But during the dry 2020-2022 period, compaction suddenly accelerated to more than a foot per year in some places, suggesting irreversible collapse.
Monday, December 9th, 13:40-17:30 | Poster Hall BC | abstract
How does climate affect infectious diseases?
Jeffrey ShermanColumbia Climate School
Sherman, interim dean of the climate school, has produced some of the most important epidemiological studies during the coronavirus pandemic. This talk will address a wide range of factors that may influence how climate change affects the prevalence, transmissibility, and geography of other infectious diseases. These include phenomena at the molecular, individual, and population scales and how they potentially interact with weather and climate variability.
Tuesday, December 10th, 9:06-9:15 | Ballroom A | U21A-05
‘Missing’ undersea volcano could pose tsunami hazard
Dallas AbbottLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
The massive underwater eruption of Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific in 2022 was a reminder of the tsunami danger posed by active submarine volcanoes. Abbott says there may be more than we think. Based on existing maps of hydrothermal vents and volcano arcs, she estimates that there are at least 160 “missing” active submarine volcanoes, including some that have erupted in prehistoric times for which no accurate records exist. Masu. If recent eruptions produced large amounts of sulfate aerosols and tsunamis, match sulfates in ice cores to the dates of 298 tsunamis in the world’s historical tsunami database whose sources have not been previously identified. may be able to identify their location.
Tuesday, December 10th, 13:40-17:30 | Poster Hall BC | abstract
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Alumni Party
This annual reunion brings together hundreds of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory staff and alumni from around the world. Plenty of food and drinks. All members of the press covering AGU are welcome. This is a great opportunity to connect, hear informally about our work in progress, and have some fun.
Tuesday, December 10th, 6:30pm-8:30pm | Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW
Greenland is rising, but that may not be a good thing
lauren rouliteLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Sea levels around Greenland are falling, not rising, in part because large amounts of ice are being shed and land is recovering. But essentially all Greenlanders live along the coast, and lower water levels in many already shallow harbors could eventually hinder travel and fishing. Using an array of data and models, Ruright and colleagues predict that water levels could drop alarmingly in the 21st century, from 1.4 meters to 3.7 meters in some places. 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 11th, 8:40-8:50 | 202A | GC31E-02
Greenland Rising project web page
What benefits can be obtained from mine tailings?
Peter KelemenLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Kelemen, a geochemist, has long been a leader in research into how carbon is stored underground, using natural chemical reactions in certain types of rocks. His research extends to large inventories of mine tailings, which have the dual role of reacting with carbon to produce large amounts of previously unrecovered nickel and cobalt needed for renewable energy infrastructure. He thinks it has the potential to do so. He describes a new way to accomplish this.
Wednesday, December 11th, 8:40-8:50 | 154A-B | GC31C-02
Mapping US rocks for carbon sequestration
Changing sounds of the tundra
natalie bollmanLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Small groves of shrubby balsam poplars dot the tundra of northern Alaska and are expected to expand as the Arctic warms. To understand potential ecological impacts, Boelman and his colleagues are studying life on these small islands using microphones that record insect and bird calls. Among other things, they found that bird activity was more prevalent in wooded areas compared to tundra areas, and that there were changes in insect life. 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 11th, 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 known humans arrived in the unglaciated region of northeastern Greenland, the northernmost tip of the Arctic Circle. For thousands of years, they disappeared, reappeared, and then mysteriously disappeared again. The team continues to work in this uninhabited area to understand the environmental conditions that may have had an impact. The results were unexpected. People seemed to move in during the colder months and leave during the warmer months. This is contrary to conventional wisdom.
Wednesday, December 11th, 13:40-17:30 | Poster Hall BC | abstract
Wanderdal Project Website
Nanoplastics in tap water
Giovana de Loia, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Earlier this year, researchers in Colombia discovered that a single plastic bottle could contain hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics (tiny products of microplastics that have been further broken down with unknown health effects). It showed something and caused controversy. Using the same new technology, they looked at tap water across the United States. Preliminary studies of New York City’s tap water have detected plastic in it, suggesting that the number of particles increases exponentially as their size decreases.
Wednesday, December 11th, 16:40-16:50 | 102 AB | H34G-05
Large amounts of nanoplastics found in bottled water (Project leader: Yan Beizan)
environment rocket launch cost
Kostas TsigaridisGoddard Institute for Space Studies
The number of rocket launches is skyrocketing (just kidding), as governments and companies send hundreds of satellites and other vehicles into space every year. That number will likely increase rapidly in the coming years. Because rockets are constantly getting bigger, each launch produces large amounts of unregulated emissions of soot, NOx, carbon monoxide, and other substances. And as the skies become increasingly crowded, emissions of metals and other materials from debris re-entering the atmosphere could rival those from launches. Tsigaardis will discuss cutting-edge modeling of how this could affect all levels of the atmosphere, including climate impacts.
Thursday, December 12th, 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 typically flows in a nearly straight line, separating cold air in the polar regions from warmer air in the south. But climate change is being blamed for causing a huge wobble in the river, bringing heat waves to the temperate latitudes at the top of the wobble and cold waves to the valley. Horton and his colleagues say that in the future, severe cold waves could reach the tropics, leaving people without any protection. They investigate potential mechanisms and identify susceptible areas.
Friday, December 13th, 9:04-9:12 | 202B | A51D-05
Can we store carbon from the Northeastern United States?
jack turneyLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Some forms of volcanic basalt are thought to have great potential for converting carbon emissions into solid minerals, and large amounts of basalt may exist on the ocean floor off the coast of the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. However, these formations have never been explicitly mapped or sampled. The new project uses high-resolution aeromagnetic and gravity surveys combined with existing satellite and seismic data to map the offshore distribution of basalt. Basalt could be excavated and used to pump emissions from coastal power plants, industrial facilities, and other point sources. .
Friday, December 13th, 13:40-17:30 | Poster Hall BC | abstract
Articles about the project
