PAOC Spotlights

Setting carbon management in stone

When it comes to carbon storage, some MIT scientists think the best solution is to find the fastest way to turn carbon into rock.

Microbes and minerals may have set off Earth’s oxygenation

Scientists propose a new mechanism by which oxygen may have first built up in the atmosphere.

Tim Cronin promoted to Associate Professor

The Executive Committee of the Corporation has approved the promotion of Tim Cronin to Associate Professor Without Tenure effective July 1, 2022.

Study reveals chemical link between wildfire smoke and ozone depletion

If wildfires become larger and more frequent, they might stall ozone recovery for years.

MIT Climate Grand Challenges: Ice Sheets and Sea-Level Prediction

Geophysicist Brent Minchew leads two proposals to better understand glacial physics and predict sea-level rise as part of MIT's effort to tackle complex, unsolved problems of climate change.

A systems level approach to biogeography

A new CBIOMES paper presents, for the first time, an interpretation of observed, strain-level, basin-scale biogeography using genome-scale modeling of cellular metabolism, physiology, and fitness.

Venice in Boston

A new Museum of Science exhibit on sea level rise features input from oceanographer Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli about her work on the Venetian Lagoon’s MOSE barrier project.

Understanding air pollution from space

Arlene Fiore uses satellite data paired with ground observations to refine our understanding of ozone smog and interactions with meteorology and climate.

Predator interactions chiefly determine where Prochlorococcus thrive

New findings may help researchers hone predictions for where phytoplankton will migrate with climate change.

Scientists build new atlas of ocean’s oxygen-starved waters

The 3D maps may help researchers track and predict the ocean’s response to climate change.

EAPS features at AGU's fall meeting 2021

Plenty of representatives from MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) will be in attendance.

Getting back into the swing of things: DEAPS 2021 in pictures

Fall 2021 marks the first semester since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic where first-years could begin their MIT journey with some of the usual new student offerings, including pre-orientation programs.

Climate modeling confirms historical records showing rise in hurricane activity

New results show North Atlantic hurricanes have increased in frequency over the last 150 years.

Adapt or retreat: No solution is off the table to prepare for sea level rise in Woods Hole

With three major marine science institutions and over a century of research, the quaint Cape Cod village of Woods Hole may have a unique advantage in dealing with sea level rise, say government officials and scientists at a recent symposium.

MIT Energy Initiative awards seven Seed Fund grants for early-stage energy research

One of seven novel energy research projects to win a MIT Energy Initiative Seed Fund award will develop a siting and design methodology that can enable a more accurate risk analysis of wind farm development and energy grid expansion under climate cha...

Saving seaweed with machine learning

PhD candidate Charlene Xia is developing a low-cost system to monitor the microbiome of seaweed farms and identify diseases before they spread.

New “risk triage” platform pinpoints compounding threats to US infrastructure

Modeling tool showcases emerging MIT Joint Program research focus on multi-sector dynamics.

Climate and sustainability classes expand at MIT

MIT offers over 120 undergraduate classes related to sustainability, a sign of growing student and faculty interest in the environmental impacts of their fields.

Tropical Storm Henri Is Bringing High Winds, Heavy Rain And Flooding. Is It Climate Change?

In light of hurricane Henri that threatened the Northeast, WBUR reporter Miriam Wasser spoke with climate and hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel about hurricanes, risk associated with them, and how climate change has influenced them over the years.

Explaining diversity patterns among marine phytoplankton

Scientists extend a concept from network theory to develop a new diagnostic for fluid flows useful in understanding the structuring of marine phytoplankton distributions.

Global warming begets more warming, new paleoclimate study finds

Researchers observe a “warming bias” over the past 66 million years that may return if ice sheets disappear.

Smarter regulation of global shipping emissions could improve air quality and health outcomes

Study shows need to identify domestic and international pollution sources in policy design

Geologists take Earth’s inner temperature using erupted sea glass

The results could help scientists unravel the processes underlying plate tectonics.

A new approach to preventing human-induced earthquakes

Applied in the field, a new model reduced quakes from oil and gas processes; could help manage seismic events from carbon sequestration.