Siberian Traps Likely Triggered Mass Extinction
A new study from MIT reveals that the Siberian Traps erupted at the right time, and for the right duration, to have been a likely…
Atmospheric Science
The Unintended Consequences of Geoengineering a Cooler Atmosphere
In a newly published study, scientists from MIT reveal unintended consequences of an idea to stimulate ocean phytoplankton growth in order to geoengineer a cooler…
Curiosity Rover Reveals Evidence of Ancient Top-of-Atmosphere Loss
What Happened to the Early Mars’ Atmosphere? A newly published study looks to answer this question and eliminate one possible theory. Scientists may be closer…
“Grey Swan” Cyclones Will Become More Frequent and Intense
A newly published study from MIT and Princeton University reveals that “grey swan” cyclones will become more frequent and intense over the next century. “Grey…
How Rain Droplets Attract Aerosols Out of the Atmosphere
Atmospheric chemists from MIT test how effective rain is at cleaning the atmosphere, revealing the most accurate values of coagulation to date. As a raindrop…
Naturally Occurring Atmospheric Processes and Chinese Pollution Offset Ozone Gains
A newly published study reveals that a combination of naturally occurring atmospheric processes and pollutants crossing the Pacific Ocean from China have offset the reduction…
Impact of Ocean Acidification on Phytoplankton Communities
A newly published study from MIT and colleagues shows that ocean acidification may cause dramatic changes to phytoplankton communities, recealing that many species may die…
Researchers Observed 13 Equally Spaced, Zebra-Like Stripes of Plasma in Space
A team of researchers from MIT and UCLA have identified zebra-like stripes of plasma in a region of space about 12,000 miles from Earth’s surface….
New Horizons Prepares to Search for Clouds in Pluto’s Atmosphere
Using the high-resolution LORRI imager and the Ralph color image on the New Horizons Spacecraft, NASA scientists hope to reveal Pluto’s secrets. If Pluto has…
Scientists Propose Possible Mechanism for Saturn’s Polar Cyclones
Atmospheric scientists from MIT have developed a simple model that may predict cyclone activity on other planets. For the last decade, astronomers have observed curious…
Plasma Irregularities in the Polar Ionosphere Can Distort GPS Signals
New research from scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and at the University of New Brunswick looks at irregularities in the ionosphere, comparing turbulence in…
MIT Study Shows Rainfall Releases Aerosols on Impact
MIT scientists use high-speed cameras to show that when a raindrop hits a surface it traps tiny air bubbles at the point of contact and…
Tropical Forests May Be Absorbing More Carbon Dioxide Than Previously Thought
A newly published study from NASA scientists shows that tropical forests, like the one pictured above, absorb more atmospheric carbon dioxide than boreal forests. A…
Small Volcanoes Underestimated in Climate Models
A new study from MIT shows that the effects of smaller eruptions have been underestimated in climate models, revealing that relatively small volcanic eruptions can…
Smoke from Wildfires and Forest Emissions Explain Why the Pliocene Was So Hot
Using sophisticated Earth system modeling, new research from Yale University reveals that the release of forest emissions and smoke from wildfires 3 million years ago…
A Third Radiation Belt Temporarily Appears in Earth’s Upper Atmosphere
In a new study, scientists from the UCLA Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences explain the temporary appearance and dissipation of a third radiation belt…
Mysterious Cold Layer Discovered in the Atmosphere of Venus
Based on a new analysis of compiled data from ESA’s Venus Express, scientists have uncovered a very chilly layer high in the Venus’s atmosphere with…
Study Examines How Global Warming Will Affect Tropical Rainfall
A new study from scientists at MIT uses model simulations and observations to estimate the how global warming will affect extreme precipitation, finding that with…