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.
Mini-satellite maker
With her students, aerospace engineer Kerri Cahoy is developing small, affordable “CubeSats” to monitor weather and search for exoplanets.
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.
Geologists raise the speed limit for how fast continental crust can form
Study suggests parts of the Sierra Nevadas formed in a “geologic instant,” more than twice as fast as previously thought.
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.
Astronomers discover an Earth-sized “pi planet” with a 3.14-day orbit
The rocky world, with its baking-hot surface, is likely not habitable.
MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative will stimulate environmental microbiology research
Project supported by the Simons Foundation aims to reinvigorate environmental science by leaning on Parsons Laboratory's past as a leader in the space.
Did our early ancestors boil their food in hot springs?
Scientists have found evidence of hot springs near sites where ancient hominids settled, long before the control of fire.