Earth and atmospheric sciences

The first hairy microbesNew fossils reveal oldest known ciliates.

Blooming ocean frontsStudy finds fronts are hot spots for phytoplankton blooms.

Battered asteroid may have warm coreNew analysis of Lutetia finds evidence for molten interior.

Young scientists and babies: White House policy begins with alumna requestA new White House initiative to provide workplace flexibility to young scientists — starting with the National Science Foundation — has MIT fingerprints all over it.

To the moonMIT-led GRAIL mission to map the lunar gravitational field.

On thin iceThe most recent global climate report fails to capture the reality of the changing Arctic seascape, according to MIT researchers.

Putting the pieces togetherMIT researchers reconstruct Baja California’s 2010 ‘Easter Earthquake.’

The tallest tree in the landNew model predicts maximum tree height across the United States; gives information about forest density, carbon storage.

3 Questions: Richard Binzel on near-Earth asteroids'2011 MD,' found by a Lincoln Lab team, will pass close to the planet on Monday.

Ancient armorFossils from the Yukon reveal protective plates for microscopic organisms.

Wind, war and weathermenHow a Swedish bon vivant let MIT introduce modern meteorology to America — just in time to help the Allies win World War II.

Hotspot in the hot seatNew seismic imaging alters the picture beneath Hawaii.

Explained: Measuring earthquakesHow do scientists measure jolts such as the recent disaster in Japan? Hint: They don’t use the Richter scale.

Exploring explorationFrom deep space to deep sea, two-day symposium examined MIT’s impacts and innovations.

Science and policy can catalyze each other, EPA head saysIn MIT visit, Lisa Jackson discusses how technology can affect government regulations.

EAPS, physics professor James Elliot dies at 67Led team that discovered the rings of Uranus in 1977.

Reading Earth’s magnetic historyNew tool allows unprecedented accuracy in dating of some seafloor rocks, with potential to help climate analysis.

3 Questions: Sara Seager on discovering a trove of new planetsNASA’s Kepler orbiting telescope has found hundreds of new possible planets, including 54 in the so-called 'habitable zone.'

Earth’s final growth spurtNASA team suggests that massive projectiles added mass to Earth, Mars and the Moon during final phase of planet formation

Growing Earth’s oceansStudy suggests that trace amounts of water created oceans on Earth and other terrestrial planets, including those outside the solar system.

Four from MIT are Stewardship Science Graduate fellowsGraduate students take practicum at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Tracing Earth’s historyGeologists aim to improve the accuracy of their process for dating ancient rocks.

Study sees changing intensity of storms from warmingHemispheres will respond to climate change differently, with weaker summer storms in the North, study suggests.

Construction begins on high-performance computing centerPresident Hockfield joins Gov. Patrick and others at groundbreaking ceremony.

Better prepared next timeLessons learned from the BP oil spill could help both companies and regulators to be more ready for the next emergency.

Telling time on the moonNew map of lunar craters sheds light on early solar-system activity and points to oldest parts of the moon’s surface.

More hurricanes in greener seas?Research suggests ocean color is linked to formation, movement of tropical cyclones

15 MIT students awarded DOE-funded Science Graduate FellowshipsAmong 150 students nationwide awarded fellowships in program's first year

Bursting a bubble?A generally accepted theory explaining the frequent eruptions at Italy’s Stromboli volcano is called into question by new research.

3 Questions: Richard Binzel on astronomers’ powerful new toolPan-STARRS, a telescope designed to reveal the ‘unexpected surprises’ in our solar system, including possible threats to Earth, just became fully operational.