View source for Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory

{{Short description|Scientific observatory in the United States}}
{{Infobox_Company |
company_name   = Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory |
company_logo   =  |
company_type   = [[Non-profit organization|Non-profit]] research institute|
foundation     = 1948|
location       = [[Palisades, New York]] |
key_people     = Steven L. Goldstein, Interim Director <ref name="director">{{cite web |url=https://lamont.columbia.edu/about/office-director |publisher=LDEO |access-date=19 July 2024|title=Office of the Director}}</ref> |
homepage       = [http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu www.ldeo.columbia.edu]
}}
[[File:Ldeo-comer-2010 - 1.jpg|thumb|Gary C. Comer Building Geochemistry Building on the Lamont-Doherty (LDEO) campus]]
The '''Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO)''' is a [[research|research institution]] specializing in the [[Earth science]] and [[climate change]].  Though part of [[Columbia University]], it is located on a separate closed campus in [[Palisades, New York]].<ref name="goodnews"/>
The Observatory was one of the centers of research that led to the development of the theory of [[Plate Tectonics]] as well as many other notable scientific developments.
==Campus==
LDEO is located in [[Palisades, New York]] on a property overlooking the Hudson River which was once the weekend residence of banker [[Thomas W. Lamont]]. It was donated to the university in 1948 by his widow, Florence Lamont.<ref name="goodnews">{{cite web |last1=Schiffman |first1=Richard |title=The Lab That Discovered Global Warming Has Good News and Bad News |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/nyregion/lamont-doherty-earth-observatory-global-warming.html |work=New York Times |access-date=20 July 2024 |date=24 Apr 2020}}</ref>   In 1969, the Observatory was renamed "Lamont-Doherty" following a gift from the [[Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation]].<ref name="Doherty">{{cite web |title=Columbia Project given $7 Million |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/01/13/77429645.html?pageNumber=18 |work=New York Times |access-date=20 July 2024 |date=13 Jan 1969}}</ref>
== Research ==
[[File:LDEO DSS Repository.jpg|thumb|A part of the Core Repository]]
[[File:Robin+Bell Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.jpg|thumb|LDEO researcher [[Robin Bell (scientist)|Robin Bell]]]]
=== Climate change ===
The LDEO is a substantial source of data for the US government in relation to [[climate change]]. Faculty at the LDEO have been noted for giving climate change testimony to [[United States Congress|Congress]] in relation to melting ice sheets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-11 |title=Earth's Thermometers: Glacial and Ice Sheet Melt in a Changing Climate For Committee on Science Space and Technology U.S. House of Representatives |url=https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/109739/witnesses/HHRG-116-SY00-Wstate-BellR-20190711.pdf |access-date=2024-07-21 |publisher=US House of Representatives}}</ref> [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] has also noted the LDEO's ''Global Ocean Surface Water Partial Pressure of CO2 Database'' as being an instrumental source of [[partial pressure]] [[carbon dioxide]] data (pCO<sub>2</sub>), which can, in turn, detail the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the earth's oceans. Many versions of the LDEO database have been published over the years, dating back to 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2019 |title=GLOBAL OCEAN SURFACE WATER PARTIAL PRESSURE OF CO2 DATABASE: MEASUREMENTS PERFORMED DURING 1957–2019 (Version 2019) |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/LDEO_Underway_Database/NDP-088_V2019.pdf|publisher=NOAA}}</ref>
==== Tree rings ====
The tree-ring lab at the LDEO studies the effects on climate and climate change on trees. In an interview, Nicole Davi from the LDEO noted findings like the formation of tree-rings during extended dry seasons, as well as work being done to carbon-date trees to verify tree ring data.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Rukovets |first1=Olga |last2=Planet |first2=State of the |title=What tropical trees can teach about the environment |url=https://phys.org/news/2022-10-tropical-trees-environment.html |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>
==== Core repository ====
The core repository at the LDEO stores various drilled sediment samples from the earth's oceans. The samples have been used to detail climate changes between [[Timeline of glaciation|glaciation periods]], in context of dissolved elements and gases, like calcium (from shells) and carbon dioxide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pinkerton |first=Byrd |date=2023-10-10 |title=Mud libraries hold the story of the Earth's climate past — and foretell its future |url=https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23895684/mud-climate-science |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Vox |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Earthquakes ===
A major source of past earthquake data comes from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory/National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER) ''Earthquake Strong Motion Database''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Earthquake Strong Motion Database: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (LDEO/NCEER) |url=https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C1214584887-SCIOPS.html |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=NASA}}</ref>
=== Antarctic mapping ===
In 2012, [[Voice of America]] documented the work done by LDEO researcher [[Robin Bell (scientist)|Robin Bell]], and others, in mapping the land underneath the [[Antarctica]] [[ice sheet]]. Several notable findings included the discovery of hidden rivers, hidden mountain ranges, and significant geothermal energy below the ice.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-08 |title=Mapping Mountain Range Found Under Antarctic Ice |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/scientist-finds-mountain-range-under-antarctic-ice---136661463/169719.html |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref>
=== Other ===
Other examples of LDEO's research are:
* Seismic activity following [[nuclear weapons testing]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Oliver |first1=Jack |last2=Ewing |first2=Maurice |date=1958-08-15 |title=Seismic Surface Waves at Palisades from Explosions in Nevada and the Marshall Islands |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=44 |issue=8 |pages=780–785 |doi=10.1073/pnas.44.8.780 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=534559 |pmid=16590271}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Richards |first1=Paul G. |last2=Won-young |first2=Kim |date=2009-03-02 |title=Advances in Monitoring Nuclear Weapon Testing |url=https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~richards/my_papers/Richards&Kim2009SciAm.pdf}}</ref>
* Continental drift: in the North Atlantic,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=PITMAN |first1=WALTER C. |last2=TALWANI |first2=MANIK |date=1972 |title=Sea-Floor Spreading in the North Atlantic |url=https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1972)83%5B619:SSITNA%5D2.0.CO;2 |journal=Geological Society of America Bulletin |volume=83 |issue=3 |pages=619 |doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1972)83[619:ssitna]2.0.co;2 |issn=0016-7606}}</ref> and, separately, their effects on the magnetic field.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1029/JB073i006p02119 | doi=10.1029/JB073i006p02119 | title=Marine magnetic anomalies, geomagnetic field reversals, and motions of the ocean floor and continents | date=1968 | last1=Heirtzler | first1=J. R. | last2=Dickson | first2=G. O. | last3=Herron | first3=E. M. | last4=Pitman | first4=W. C. | last5=Le Pichon | first5=X. | journal=Journal of Geophysical Research | volume=73 | issue=6 | pages=2119–2136 }}</ref>{{Verify source|date=July 2024}}
* The "ocean-atmosphere system."<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-3791(90)90026-7 | doi=10.1016/0277-3791(90)90026-7 | title=The role of ocean-atmosphere reorganizations in glacial cycles | date=1990 | last1=Broecker | first1=Wallace S. | last2=Denton | first2=George H. | journal=Quaternary Science Reviews | volume=9 | issue=4 | pages=305–341 }}</ref>
* Future weather in [[El Niño–Southern Oscillation|El Niño]] events.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1038/321827a0 | doi=10.1038/321827a0 | title=Experimental forecasts of el Niño | date=1986 | last1=Cane | first1=Mark A. | last2=Zebiak | first2=Stephen E. | last3=Dolan | first3=Sean C. | journal=Nature | volume=321 | issue=6073 | pages=827–832 }}</ref>
* The relationship between weather and yields.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1038/370204a0 | doi=10.1038/370204a0 | title=Forecasting Zimbabwean maize yield using eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature | date=1994 | last1=Cane | first1=Mark A. | last2=Eshel | first2=Gidon | last3=Buckland | first3=R. W. | journal=Nature | volume=370 | issue=6486 | pages=204–205 }}</ref>
* The relationship between rotation of the [[Internal structure of Earth|core]] and seismic activity.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1038/382221a0 | doi=10.1038/382221a0 | title=Seismological evidence for differential rotation of the Earth's inner core | date=1996 | last1=Song | first1=Xiaodong | last2=Richards | first2=Paul G. | journal=Nature | volume=382 | issue=6588 | pages=221–224 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1113193 | doi=10.1126/science.1113193 | title=Inner Core Differential Motion Confirmed by Earthquake Waveform Doublets | date=2005 | last1=Zhang | first1=Jian | last2=Song | first2=Xiaodong | last3=Li | first3=Yingchun | last4=Richards | first4=Paul G. | last5=Sun | first5=Xinlei | last6=Waldhauser | first6=Felix | journal=Science | volume=309 | issue=5739 | pages=1357–1360 | pmid=16123296 }}</ref>
* The [[Seabed|sea floor]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tharp |first=Marie |title=Connect the dots: mapping the sea floor and discovering the Mid-Ocean Ridge. |journal=Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia Twelve Perspectives on the First Fifty Years}}</ref><!-- Only available as a citation on Google Scholar. -->
* [[Ice age|Ice ages]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1126/science.123.3207.1061 | doi=10.1126/science.123.3207.1061 | title=A Theory of Ice Ages | date=1956 | last1=Ewing | first1=Maurice | last2=Donn | first2=William L. | journal=Science | volume=123 | issue=3207 | pages=1061–1066 | pmid=17748617 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1126/science.191.4232.1131 | doi=10.1126/science.191.4232.1131 | title=The Surface of the Ice-Age Earth | journal=Science | date=1976 | volume=191 | issue=4232 | pages=1131–1137 | pmid=17781630 | author1=CLIMAP Project Members }}</ref>{{Verify source|date=July 2024}}<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1126/science.194.4270.1121 | doi=10.1126/science.194.4270.1121 | title=Variations in the Earth's Orbit: Pacemaker of the Ice Ages | date=1976 | last1=Hays | first1=J. D. | last2=Imbrie | first2=John | last3=Shackleton | first3=N. J. | journal=Science | volume=194 | issue=4270 | pages=1121–1132 | pmid=17790893 }}</ref>
* [[Space weather|Solar weather]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1065680 | doi=10.1126/science.1065680 | title=Persistent Solar Influence on North Atlantic Climate During the Holocene | date=2001 | last1=Bond | first1=Gerard | last2=Kromer | first2=Bernd | last3=Beer | first3=Juerg | last4=Muscheler | first4=Raimund | last5=Evans | first5=Michael N. | last6=Showers | first6=William | last7=Hoffmann | first7=Sharon | last8=Lotti-Bond | first8=Rusty | last9=Hajdas | first9=Irka | last10=Bonani | first10=Georges | journal=Science | volume=294 | issue=5549 | pages=2130–2136 | pmid=11739949 }}</ref>
* Seismic activity on the [[moon]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00562004 | doi=10.1007/BF00562004 | title=Moonquakes and lunar tectonism | date=1972 | last1=Latham | first1=Gary | last2=Ewing | first2=Maurice | last3=Dorman | first3=James | last4=Lammlein | first4=David | last5=Press | first5=Frank | last6=Toksőz | first6=Naft | last7=Sutton | first7=George | last8=Duennebier | first8=Fred | last9=Nakamura | first9=Yosio | journal=The Moon | volume=4 | issue=3–4 | pages=373–382 }}</ref>
== Research vessels ==
[[File:LDEO Langseth.jpg|thumb|The RV ''[[RV Marcus G. Langseth|Marcus G. Langseth]]'']]
{{excerpt|RV Marcus G. Langseth|only=paragraph}}
== Directors ==
# [[Maurice Ewing]] (1949–1972)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lamont Directors 1949-Present |url=https://lamont.columbia.edu/about/office-director/directors-history}}</ref>
# Manik Talwani (1972–1980)
# [[Neil D. Opdyke|Neil Opdyke]] (1981; interim)
# C. Barry Raleigh (1981–1989)
# [[Dennis Kent|Dennis V. Kent]] (1989–1990; interim)
# [[Gordon P. Eaton|Gordon Eaton]] (1990–1994)
# John C. Mutter (1994–1996; interim)
# Peter M. Eisenberger (1996–1999)
# John C. Mutter (1999–2000; interim)
#[[G. Michael Purdy]] (2000–2011)
#Arthur L. Lerner-Lam (2011–2012; interim)
# [[Sean Solomon]] (2012–2020)
# [[Maureen Raymo]] (2020–2023)
# Stephen L. Goldstein (2023–present; interim)
==Notable people==
* [[Robin Bell (scientist)|Robin Bell]]
* [[Wallace Smith Broecker]] - popularized the term [[global warming]]
* [[Bruce C. Heezen]] - mapped the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]] in the 1950s
* [[Terry Plank]]
* [[Marie Tharp]] - oceanic cartographer whose work led to the consensus on the [[plate tectonics]] and [[continental drift]] theories.<ref name="columbia.edu">{{Cite news |last=Bizzarro |first=Danielle |date=Jul 10, 2001 |title=Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory Bestows Heritage Award on Marie Tharp, Pioneer of Modern Oceanography |url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/01/07/marieTharp.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010925010717/http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/01/07/marieTharp.html |archive-date=2001-09-25 |access-date=Oct 12, 2014 |work=Columbia News |publisher=Office of Public Affairs, [[Columbia University]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blakemore |first=Erin |date=30 August 2016 |title=Seeing Is Believing: How Marie Tharp Changed Geology Forever |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/seeing-believing-how-marie-tharp-changed-geology-forever-180960192/ |magazine=Smithsonian Magazine}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons Category|Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory}}
*[http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/ Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Website]
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