Rock magnetism uncrumples the Himalayas’ complex collision zone
MIT EAPS researchers find the impressive mountain range formed over a series of impacts, not a single event, as previously thought.
Department
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Aerosols from pollution, desert storms, and forest fires may intensify thunderstorms
Researchers identify a mechanism by which small particles in the atmosphere can generate more frequent thunderstorms.
Professor and astrophysicist Sara Seager appointed officer to the Order of Canada
Pioneer in exoplanet research helped transform the burgeoning field into one of the fastest-growing and most exciting in space science.
3 Questions: Rona Oran and Benjamin Weiss on the ancient moon’s missing magnetism
Simulations rule out plasmas caused by meteoroid impacts as the source of lunar magnetism, supporting the proposal that the ancient moon generated a core dynamo.
MIT oceanographers have an explanation for the Arctic’s puzzling ocean turbulence
New study suggests waters will become more turbulent as Arctic loses summertime ice.
Case studies show climate variation linked to rise and fall of medieval nomadic empires
Recent virtual lecture explores how paleoclimatology provides important context for examining the activities of past human societies.
Field geology at a distance
As part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Professor Tanja Bosak helps determine the best samples to bring home for clues about life 4 billion years ago.
An escape route for seafloor methane
Leakage from frozen layers was a puzzle, but a new study shows how the potent greenhouse gas breaks through icy barriers.
Saudi Arabia faces increased heat, humidity, precipitation extremes by mid-century
High-resolution climate projections could enable a robust adaptation and resilience response.
Universities should lead the way on climate action, MIT panelists say
An online symposium explores roles for research universities and outlines the Institute’s efforts to be a testbed for research and policy innovations.
Institute Professor Emeritus Mario Molina, environmental leader and Nobel laureate, dies at 77
The atmospheric chemist shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery that chemicals known as CFCs deplete the ozone layer.
Antarctic sea ice may not cap carbon emissions as much as previously thought
Study suggests sea ice blocks the flow of carbon both into and out of the ocean, in roughly equal measure.