Searching across deep time to understand “ecogenesis”
Geobiologist Greg Fournier seeks to uncover the conditions leading to the emergence of life.
Aviva Intveld named 2023 Gates Cambridge Scholar
The MIT senior will pursue graduate studies in earth sciences at Cambridge University.
Moving water and earth
A new understanding of how particle shape controls grain flow could help engineers manage river restoration and coastal erosion.
Looking to the past to prepare for an uncertain future
Using sand and rock, MIT senior Aviva Intveld tells stories of ancient climates.
Geophysicist Leigh Royden looks at Earth from the top down
The MIT professor combines geophysics and geology to understand what’s happening beneath the crust.
Using seismology for groundwater management
New research showcases a pilot application using seismometers to monitor groundwater aquifers in California.
Porosity of the moon’s crust reveals bombardment history
The moon sustained twice as many impacts as can be seen on its surface, scientists find.
A passion for science and music
Fieldwork campfire jam sessions and geology lessons helped inspire senior Zoe Levitt to pursue songwriting full time.
Magma beneath tectonic collision zones is wetter than previously thought
New findings may help explain how Earth’s crust forms, the location of ore deposits, and why some volcanoes are more explosive than others.
Tonga volcano eruption caused significant space plasma disturbances on a global scale
MIT Haystack Observatory identifies long-duration atmospheric waves launched by the recent Tonga eruption.
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
Shaking up earthquake research at MIT
Geophysicists Camilla Cattania and William Frank team up to explore the tectonics and fault mechanics behind earthquakes, and their associated hazards.
Nanograins make for a seismic shift
A new study finds curious properties of tiny crystals hold clues to earthquake formation.
Dinosaurs may have lived in social herds as early as 193 million years ago
Fossils indicate a communal nesting ground and adults who foraged and took care of the young as a herd, scientists say.