http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:21:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/13/climate-and-conquest-how-did-genghis-khan-rise/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/13/climate-and-conquest-how-did-genghis-khan-rise/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 18:29:08 +0000 Kevin Krajick http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=33146 Eight hundred years ago, relatively small armies of mounted warriors suddenly exploded outward from the cold, arid high-elevation grasslands of Mongolia and reshaped world geography, culture and history in ways that still resound today. How did they do it? ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/13/climate-and-conquest-how-did-genghis-khan-rise/feed/ 3 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/06/out-of-the-woods/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/06/out-of-the-woods/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 00:38:13 +0000 Neil Pederson http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=36200 When we walked into the Sheraton in Springfield, Massachusetts we were greeted by none other than a wall full of cross sections from trees perfectly sanded to reveal the rings. “No way” I say. “I forgot the camera!” says Neil. We were just walking into the Northeast Natural History Conference, along with Dario and Jackie from the Tree Ring Lab. When I pictured my freshman year of college last summer, I pictured a lot of things. I did not picture getting to go to a conference to present a poster on my own research.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/06/out-of-the-woods/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/05/visual-skateboarding/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/05/visual-skateboarding/#comments Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:57:27 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=35454 “You can do math on excel?” I ask. I immediately imagine a face-palm response, but Dario, one of my advisors, is nice enough to hide it. I’ve collected tree core samples, I’ve prepared them and cross-dated them. Now what? Oh, right. The Science.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/05/visual-skateboarding/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/28/ill-go-on-a-cross-date-if-you-show-me-some-rings/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/28/ill-go-on-a-cross-date-if-you-show-me-some-rings/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 01:04:08 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=35286 Ever since I've started learning to cross-date tree core samples, I've learned I have a type. I prefer my tree cores to be black oaks, middle-aged, with some nice big rings to show me. Alright, fine, I can deal with some smaller rings every now and then. As long as they’re some nice marker rings. Unfortunately, the trees don’t seem to be trying to impress me.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/28/ill-go-on-a-cross-date-if-you-show-me-some-rings/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/12/05/tree-rings-and-teachable-moments/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/12/05/tree-rings-and-teachable-moments/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:42:47 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=32783 Nicole Davi, a postdoctoral scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, thinks tree rings are an ideal way to motivate students to collect and analyze data as well as to learn about climate change.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/12/05/tree-rings-and-teachable-moments/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/11/04/the-zen-of-sanding/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/11/04/the-zen-of-sanding/#comments Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:56:13 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=31837 By Ana Camila Gonzalez “But can’t you see the rings already?” I ask, wondering why I’ve been asked to sand a sample- it sounds to me like one would damage a sample by subjecting it to the mechanical screech of a sander.   “Yes, but under the microscope they look foggy if you don’t sand [...]]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/11/04/the-zen-of-sanding/feed/ 2 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/21/dipping-your-feet-in-the-water-a-first-years-experience-with-fieldwork/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/21/dipping-your-feet-in-the-water-a-first-years-experience-with-fieldwork/#comments Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:07:48 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=30765 My feet are soaking wet and I’m playing a game of Marco Polo, but I’m nowhere near a pool. It’s my second day on the job. It’s my second week of college. I have no idea what to expect.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/21/dipping-your-feet-in-the-water-a-first-years-experience-with-fieldwork/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/06/epic-wetness-in-the-greater-new-york-city-region-and-what-broadleaf-trees-have-to-say-about-it/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/06/epic-wetness-in-the-greater-new-york-city-region-and-what-broadleaf-trees-have-to-say-about-it/#comments Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:32:12 +0000 Neil Pederson http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=30071 2012 is turning out to be an exceptional year in the eastern US. Starting out with what was essentially a #YearWithoutaWinter, followed by a heat wave in March, a hot summer, Macoun and Cortland apples coming in 2-3 weeks early, and the continuation of a severe drought in the Southern US that expanded into the Midwest [...]]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/06/epic-wetness-in-the-greater-new-york-city-region-and-what-broadleaf-trees-have-to-say-about-it/feed/ 3 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/07/29/brief-broadleaf-forest-happenings-tulip-goodness-delighted-about-turkey-and-drought/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/07/29/brief-broadleaf-forest-happenings-tulip-goodness-delighted-about-turkey-and-drought/#comments Sun, 29 Jul 2012 12:12:23 +0000 Neil Pederson http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=29149 I have to call myself out. Earlier I had professed to being a former coniferphile. That was, of course, silly. I like coniferous trees very much. Half of my business is made from this lovely branch of the tree family. This introduction is a lead in to say that this blog will be quieter while [...]]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/07/29/brief-broadleaf-forest-happenings-tulip-goodness-delighted-about-turkey-and-drought/feed/ 1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/07/19/chasing-ghengis-khan/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/07/19/chasing-ghengis-khan/#comments Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:34:08 +0000 Neil Pederson http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=28823 Once you, as an outsider, spend considerable time in Mongolia, especially during Naadam and especially in the open Gobi steppe with people who still live as their ancestors did centuries ago, you will also begin to chase Chinggis Khaan.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/07/19/chasing-ghengis-khan/feed/ 0