Climatology podcasts

Chris Smith and Rachael Ralph explore the mechanisms and forecasting of El Niño and its consequences for weather, livelihoods and health. Contributions from Aidan McGivern and Peter Gibbs explain the climate dynamics; Vicky Pryce discusses economic disruption; Rachel Tolhurst and Teresa Zakaria examine health vulnerabilities and preparedness. The episode connects climate science with the decisions facing public-health services and communities.

Hosted by Chris Smith, Rachael Ralph

Nature reporters explain why record ocean temperatures associated with an intensifying El Niño could weaken marine carbon sinks. The episode also covers radiation protection for astronauts, thunder-based underground geology and experimental mitochondrial injections for vision loss.

Climate scientist Mathew Barlow explains why warming can intensify both drought and extreme rainfall. The episode follows water through a warmer atmosphere, connecting increased moisture capacity and evaporation with dry soils and stronger downpours. It distinguishes changes in average conditions from the most damaging extremes and discusses why infrastructure faces growing flood risks.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Polar scientist Sarah Das describes fieldwork on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, from expedition logistics and ice-core drilling to transporting frozen samples to the laboratory. The conversation explains how ice cores preserve climate records and how repeated visits reveal retreating glacier margins and earlier melt seasons. It connects the practical work of glaciology with measured changes in polar landscapes.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Sarah Das explains how polar ice sheets, sea ice and mountain glaciers respond to climate warming. Drawing on decades of research in Antarctica and Greenland, the episode examines ice-sheet mass balance, glacier flow, satellite measurements and the consequences of ice loss for sea level and communities. It connects observations of rapidly changing frozen landscapes with their global effects.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Samantha Burgess explains how researchers estimate the Earth’s temperature and monitor a changing climate. The episode examines the observations and international scientific collaboration behind global temperature records, and the work involved in assessing the planet’s changing conditions rather than treating a single local measurement as a global answer.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Reidar Müller discusses Earth's climate history and how past changes relate to questions about present human influence. Conversation in Norwegian.

Bjørn Samset discusses the consequences of greenhouse-gas emissions and pathways for addressing climate change. Conversation in Norwegian.

Dag Hessen discusses environmental tipping points and the connections between climate change and biodiversity loss. Conversation in Norwegian.

Bjørn H. Samset explains the physical processes that shape climate and how greenhouse-gas emissions affect them. Conversation in Norwegian.