Climate Archives - State of the Planet

Sidney Hemming, Paleoclimate Detective, Wins Guggenheim Fellowship

A Q&A with the geochemist, who plans to investigate a key climate interval millions of years ago.

by |April 13, 2021

Fossil Plants at Bottom of the Greenland Ice Sheet Warn of Future Melting

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.

by |March 15, 2021

Volcanoes May Have Large, Lasting Impacts on Global Precipitation

A new study employs natural climate archives such as tree rings to better understand volcanoes’ impacts on global rainfall patterns.

by |March 9, 2021

CO2 Dip May Have Helped Dinosaurs Walk From South America to Greenland

A new study identifies a climate phenomenon that may have helped sauropodomorphs spread northward across the Pangea supercontinent.

by |February 15, 2021

2020 Tied With 2016 as the Hottest Year on Record

Scientists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies find that 2020 was statistically equal with 2016, continuing a long-term trend.

by |January 15, 2021

Far-Drifting Antarctic Icebergs Are Trigger of Ice Ages, Scientists Say

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.

by |January 13, 2021

How Lessons From Bees, Leaves and Our Own Blood May Help Us Save Civilization

A new book argues that humanity can stave off catastrophe by observing how natural systems have evolved simple strategies to assure their survival.

by |December 1, 2020
maps showing current continents and two potential supercontinents

What Will the Climate Be Like When Earth’s Next Supercontinent Forms?

In roughly 200 million years, the continents will once again unite into a supercontinent. A new study explores how the next Pangea could affect the global climate.

by |December 1, 2020

Glaciers in Canada Found To Be Thicker Than Previously Suggested

A new study that collected ice thickness data for a number of glaciers concluded they are 38% thicker than previous estimates, with implications for water availability.

by |November 19, 2020
artistic set of large blue rings on top of snowy peak

Olafur Eliasson’s Latest Creation Combines Art and Science on an Italian Glacier

The renowned artist installed an astronomical device to draw attention to the changing climate at Italy’s Hochjochferner glacier.

by |November 18, 2020