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.
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.
Study: A plunge in incoming sunlight may have triggered “Snowball Earths”
Findings also suggest exoplanets lying within habitable zones may be susceptible to ice ages.
Study sheds light on the evolution of the earliest dinosaurs
Geological evidence suggests the known dinosaur groups diverged early on, supporting the traditional dinosaur family tree.
Tiny sand grains trigger massive glacial surges
New model answers longstanding question of how these sudden flows happen; may expand understanding of Antarctic ice sheets.
Peatland drainage in Southeast Asia adds to climate change
Study reveals drainage, deforestation of the region’s peatlands, which leads to fires, greenhouse emissions, land subsidence.
Study: Reflecting sunlight to cool the planet will cause other global changes
Solar geoengineering proposals will weaken extratropical storm tracks in both hemispheres, scientists find.
Susan Solomon earns Killian Award, MIT’s highest faculty honor
Atmospheric chemist is recognized for her “leadership in working toward real-world solutions to address the global climate crisis.”
When baby planets melt
MIT scientists identify first magmas generated in solar system’s building blocks, unexpectedly answering questions about meteorites and formation of rocky planets.
Kerry Emanuel elected a Royal Society foreign member
Professor of atmospheric science honored for his work on atmospheric physics and dynamics of tropical weather patterns.
Origins of Earth’s magnetic field remain a mystery
The existence of a magnetic field beyond 3.5 billion years ago is still up for debate.
Titan’s missing river deltas and an Earthly climate connection
Samuel Birch, a new Heising-Simons Foundation 51 Pegasi b Fellow at MIT, will investigate the surfaces of outer solar system objects.
Staring into the vortex
MIT researchers describe factors governing how oceans and atmospheres move heat around on Earth and other planetary bodies.