News

September 4 2020
David McGee named EAPS Associate Department Head for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
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EAPS News The new position, and the first of its kind, will lead the department in best practices, awareness, and implementation.
July 17 2020
Two research projects receive funding to advance technologies that avoid carbon emissions
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Emily Dahl | MIT Energy Initiative Asegun Henry, Paul Barton, and Matěj Peč will lead research supported by MITEI’s Center for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage
July 16 2020
TIL about carbon capture
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TILclimate Podcast | MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative This season, we’ve talked about alternative energy sources that don’t emit carbon dioxide -- but what if there was a way to continue using fossil fuels for energy without emitting CO2 into the atmosphere?
July 7 2020
Working from home: Mallory Ringham
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Mallory Ringham | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution I'm a rising fifth year MIT-WHOI Joint Program student in the Chemical Oceanography Program and I'm currently living near family in Syracuse, New York. I spent the first few weeks of the quarantine working from my hastily-assembled basement lab.
July 2 2020
CliMA 0.1: A first milestone in the next generation of climate models
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Sabrina Pirzada | CliMA Machine learning, climate modeling project makes computational strides.
June 18 2020
12.307: Weather and Climate Lab
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Alice Dragoon | MIT Technology Review In a virtual classroom, EAPS professors bring fluid dynamics to life.
June 2 2020
Study: Reflecting sunlight to cool the planet will cause other global changes
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office Solar geoengineering proposals will weaken extratropical storm tracks in both hemispheres, scientists find.
May 21 2020
Lab shutdowns enable speedier investigation of coral disease
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Evan Lubofsky | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Microbiologists make big strides studying Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease from home
May 20 2020
Towable sensor free-falls to measure vertical slices of ocean conditions
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office Instrument may help scientists assess the ocean’s response to climate change.
May 18 2020
Novel tool sheds light on coral reef erosion
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Evan Lubofsky | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution "UTube" wave abrasion simulator could aid coastal planning in low-lying Marshall Islands
April 8 2020
Can financial disclosure of climate risk accelerate climate action?
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change MIT panel discussion explores best practices
April 8 2020
A rapidly changing Arctic
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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Shelf sediments, freshwater runoff from rivers brings more carbon, nutrients to North Pole, study co-authored by MIT and MIT-WHOI researchers finds.
March 10 2020
March 9 2020
Staring into the vortex
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Kate S. Petersen, Lauren Hinkel, Jennifer Fentress | EAPS News MIT and EAPS members, affiiates and alumni are recognized for original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and service to astronomy and to the Society.
February 19 2020
MIT-powered climate resilience solution among top 100 proposals for MacArthur $100 Million Grant
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change High-scoring 100&Change applications featured in Bold Solutions Network
February 18 2020
Oxygen lost and found
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Kyle R. Frischkorn | Nature Communications Oxygen production and consumption influences the chemistry of the planet, as well as its climate. One process is often overlooked when considering oxygen budgets, but appears to be "pervasive across marine microbial systems."
February 17 2020
Seeding oceans with iron may not impact climate change
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office Study finds Earth’s oceans contain just the right amount of iron; adding more may not improve their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
February 12 2020
Brainstorming energy-saving hacks on Satori, MIT’s new supercomputer
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Kim Martineau | MIT Quest for Intelligence Three-day hackathon explores methods for making artificial intelligence faster and more sustainable.
February 11 2020
Exploring phytoplankton diversity
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Helen Hill | MIT Darwin Project In a new paper, MIT-CBIOMES investigator Stephanie Dutkiewicz and collaborators use the Darwin ecosystem model to develop theories seeking to explain and predict phytoplankton biogeography.
January 10 2020
Brian Green and Tom Beucler Receive the Rossby Award 2018-2019
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Lauren Hinkel | EAPS News The prize is given for the best PhD thesis done the preceding year within the EAPS Program in Atmospheres, Oceans and Climate.
January 8 2020
The BBVA Foundation Awards Kerry Emanuel the Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Climate Change
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EAPS News Emanuel’s research has provided fundamental contributions to understanding of tropical cyclones and how they are affected by climate change.
December 19 2019
How Microbes Reflect the Health of Coral Reefs
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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Microorganisms play important roles in the health and protection of coral reefs, yet exploring these connections can be difficult due to the lack of unspoiled reef systems throughout the global ocean.
December 12 2019
WHOI-Engineered DISCO Allows Scientists to Measure Highly Reactive Superoxide on Coral Reefs
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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) successfully conceived and tested a portable device, DISCO, that performed the first in situ measurements of a highly reactive type of oxygen, known as superoxide, which may play an integral role in the health of coral reefs.
December 11 2019
Synthetic Biology: A New Tool to Tackle Climate Change?
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change On December 3 and 4, Boston University convened a workshop exploring how synthetic biology—the engineering of genetic “circuits” in living cells and organisms to enable them to perform specified tasks—can help address climate change.
December 11 2019
Assessing changes and risks to the oceans, land and atmosphere
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change MIT Joint Program researchers to present latest findings at AGU Fall Meeting
April 22 2019
Letter Regarding MIT's Upcoming Climate Change Symposia MIT News Office The following letter was sent to the MIT community on April 23, 2019, by President L. Rafael Reif.
April 9 2019
Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet PBS A new PBS documentary explores how scientists, including Susan Solomon, worked together to prevent an environmental catastrophe.
April 1 2019
Who’s Who? Who’s New? Lauren Hinkel | EAPS News This April, EAPS welcomes two new members to the department, postdoctoral associates Xiaozhou Ruan and Justin Jacquot.
March 26 2019
Environmental Journals Recognize Contributions from MIT Early Career Scientists ACS Publications Noelle Eckley Selin's research on mercury pollution and mitigation was highlighted in virtual issue of outstanding scientists.
March 5 2019
Climate Change Will Change The Color Of The Ocean, Researcher Says Heather Goldstone and Elsa Partan | Living Lab Radio Stephanie Dutkiewicz talks to Living Lab Radio about how climate change will transform the color of the ocean.
February 27 2019
The climate optimist Amanda Schaffer | MIT Technology Review Susan Solomon is profiled in Tech Review for her work on how CFCs caused the Antarctic ozone hole—and how we can make progress on addressing climate change.
January 1 2019
Can Artificial Intelligence Help Build Better, Smarter Climate Models? Nicola Jones | Yale Environment Paul O’Gorman on how scientists are trying to utilize the latest advances in artificial intelligence to advance climate modeling.
December 6 2018
How to Make Professional Conferences More Accessible for Disabled People: Guidance from Actual Disabled Scientists Gabriela Serrato Marks | The Union of Concerned Scientists Grad student Gabriela Serrato Marks writes on how conferences can do better to accommodate disabled scientists, such as herself.
November 30 2018
A Universal Law for the ‘Blood of the Earth’ Joshua Sokol | Quanta Magazine The EAPS Rothman group shows how simple physical principles can be used to describe how rivers grow everywhere from Florida to Mars.
November 19 2018
Roger Summons on 'Proof' podcast An interview with Prof. Summons on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry on "Proof, America’s Test Kitchen" podcast.
October 31 2018
The Search Continues Nicole Estvanik Taylor | MIT Spectrum MIT Spectrum on PAOC member Julien de Wit joining the TRAPPIST team.
October 17 2018
How Hurricane Michael Became a 'Worst-Case Scenario' Robinson Meyer | The Atlantic Professor Kerry Emanuel speaks on Hurricane Michael's climate-addled rapid intensification with The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more.
October 16 2018
Climate Fortnite: An Interview with Henri Drake ClimateX Team EAPS graduate student Henri Drake combines gameplay with environmental education to increase awareness of climate change.
August 10 2018
NASA's Planet-Hunting TESS Catches a Comet Before Starting Science Lauren Hinkel TESS observes comet and variable stars.
August 10 2018
Emanuel selected to the 2018 Class of AGU Fellows Eric Davidson and Mary Anne Holmes | EOS The elected Fellows are AGU members whose visionary leadership and scientific excellence have fundamentally advanced research in their respective fields.
August 1 2018
Top Scientists Explain to Senators Why We Must Look for Aliens Ryan F. Mandelbaum | Gizmodo Sara Seager tells the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation why it's important to fund space exploration hunting for extraterrestrial life.
July 30 2018
From Simple Separations to Complex Questions Fatima Husain | Summons Lab Girls from the Circle Program in Groton, NH talk about STEM, geologic timescales, astrobiology, chromatography and pursuing STEM careers with Summons Lab member Fatima Husain.
July 27 2018
NASA’s TESS Spacecraft Starts Science Operations TESS NASA’s TESS has started its search for planets around nearby stars, beginning science operations on July 25, 2018. Sara Seager is the Deputy Science Director of the MIT-led NASA Explorer-class mission.
July 11 2018
PAOC’s May and Spiro Selected as Finalists for Prestigious Knauss Fellowship Lauren Hinkel PAOC members and MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography graduate students Tyler Rohr and Gualtiero Spiro to spend a year working on critical marine policy and resource management issues in D.C.
June 27 2018
Australian Climate Policy Ignoring Billions in Potential Health Savings, Experts Say Anna Salleh | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that "Australia is missing out on billions in short-term health savings that could come with tougher greenhouse emission targets, experts say." Noelle Selin comments that the health savings could offset climate polices.
June 18 2018
Charting the Future of Decarbonization Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change MIT Joint Program workshop explores economic and environmental impacts of scaling up low-carbon energy.
June 5 2018
Meeting The Challenges of the Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Global Science and Policy Success Story EAPS News Susan Solomon, the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at MIT, honored for her contributions to atmospheric science.
June 4 2018
Meet the School of Science’s Tenured Professors for 2018 Bendta Schroeder | School of Science Six faculty members are granted tenure in four departments, including Dan Cziczo.
May 30 2018
Carl Wunsch and the Rise of Modern Oceanography Michael White | Forecast Carl Wunsch speaks with Forecast about his experience in oceanography, the history of the field and how major science questions are conceptualized and addressed.
May 29 2018
A Proposed Global Metric to Aid Mercury Pollution Policy Noelle E. Selin | Science Noelle Selin writes about how a global-scale metric to assess the impact of mercury emissions policies would help parties assess progress toward their goals to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury in the journal Science.