Tectonics in the tropics trigger Earth’s ice ages, study finds
Major tectonic collisions near the equator have caused three ice ages in the last 540 million years.
MIT adds computational Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences to its PhD offerings
New EAPS thesis field is the most recent to join the computational science and engineering doctoral program within the Center for Computational Engineering.
A “pacemaker” for North African climate
Study shows the Sahara swung between lush and desert conditions every 20,000 years, in sync with monsoon activity.
Surviving one of Earth’s most extreme environments
New research finds a unique component of cell membranes in an archaea species conveys protection against acidic surroundings.
Mars 2020 landing site offers unique opportunities
EAPS professors Summons, Bosak, and Weiss provide insight on how the Jezero Crater can advance the study of Martian history and the search for ancient life.
Addressing the possibility of life on Mars
Mars expert John Grotzinger tells the story of exploration and the search for ancient life on the red planet at the annual Carlson Lecture.
Kristin Bergmann named a 2018 Packard Fellow
She will investigate the early history of complex life and the environments that supported it, both in the field and lab.
Beach sand ripples can be fingerprints for ancient weather conditions
Experiments show shifting ripple patterns can signal times of environmental flux.
Software finds the best way to stick a Mars landing
Program users can tinker with landing and path planning scenarios to identify optimal landing sites for Mars rovers.
An extinction without warning
Study finds end-Permian extinction, which wiped out most of Earth’s species, was instantaneous in geological time.
Timothy Grove awarded AGU's Harry H. Hess Medal
American Geophysical Union honors EAPS professor's “outstanding achievements in research on the constitution and evolution of the Earth and other planets.”
Investigating Earth’s earliest life
Graduate student Kelsey Moore uses genetic and fossil evidence to study the first stages of evolution on our planet.
Taylor Perron named EAPS associate department head
Expert in landscape evolution will build upon the work of outgoing associate department head Tim Grove, supporting the EAPS education mission.
Study finds climate determines shapes of river basins
Results may help identify ancient climates on Earth or other planets.
Sound waves reveal diamond cache deep in Earth’s interior
Study finds 1–2 percent of Earth’s oldest mantle rocks are made from diamond.