Kevin Krajick

3 weeks ago | scitechdaily.com | Kevin Krajick

A new study finds all major U.S. cities are sinking, driven by groundwater extraction and natural forces, posing hidden risks to infrastructure and calling for urgent solutions. Credit: ShutterstockGroundwater loss is sinking U.S. cities, threatening infrastructure in densely built areas. A recent study examining the 28 most populous cities in the United States has found that every one of them is sinking to some extent.

1 month ago | news.climate.columbia.edu | Kevin Krajick

A new study of the 28 most populous U.S. cities finds that all are sinking to one degree or another. The cities include not just those on the coasts, where relative sea level is a concern, but many in the interior. Furthermore, using newly granular data, the study finds that some cities are sinking at different rates in different spots, or sinking in some places and rising in others, potentially introducing stresses that could affect buildings and other infrastructure.

Mar 4, 2025 | news.climate.columbia.edu | Kevin Krajick

Every few days now, a giant rocket blasts a fiery trail through the atmosphere, lofting satellites into orbit, carrying out space missions or performing other tasks. Since 2017, both the number of launches and the size of their cargo loads have grown dramatically, with ever bigger rockets carrying ever larger numbers of satellites and other objects per launch. In 2016, a total of 221 objects were launched into space; in 2023, the number was 2,644.

Dec 12, 2024 | scitechdaily.com | Kevin Krajick

Researchers have discovered a pattern of extreme heat waves that defy current climate models, occurring globally except in Antarctica, causing widespread fatalities and environmental damage. The year 2023 was Earth’s warmest year on record, with an average temperature 2.12 degrees F above the 20th-century average. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016. Notably, the ten hottest yearly average temperatures have all occurred in the past decade.

Dec 6, 2024 | news.climate.columbia.edu | Kevin Krajick

Many recent studies assume that elderly people are at particular risk of dying from extreme heat as the planet warms. A new study of mortality in Mexico turns this assumption on its head: it shows that 75% of heat-related deaths are occurring among people under 35―a large percentage of them ages 18 to 35, or the very group that one might expect to be most resistant to heat. “It’s a surprise.