EAPS Scope

NEWSlETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND PlANETARy ScIENcES | 2014-2015

Feature PAGE 4 News PAGE 8 Friends PAGE 20 Earth: Inside-Out. We can’t see it, Introducing new Assistant Professor Read about past and future

can’t touch it. How can we know what’s Greg Fournier • Three faculty earn EAPS lectures and events • Meet our

inside? EAPS geoscientists have the tenure appointments • Faculty Awards new student fellows • Find out how

tools and tenacity to tease apart just and Honors • Research Highlights • you can help us to continue to attract how the interior of the earth works. 2013/2014 Degrees Awarded the best and the brightest to EAPS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Helen Hill LETTER

ONLINE EDITOR FROM THE Heather Queyrouze DEPARTMENT EAPS SCIENCE WRITER Helen Hill HEAD

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dear Alumni and Friends, Jennifer chu vicki Ekstrom The new academic year is well underway and the Angela Ellis Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Jimmy Gasore Sciences is again abuzz with activity—with a fresh intake of students, research and course offerings COPYEDITOR of an extraordinary variety, and lively seminars and Allison Provaire special lectures almost daily.

Our students are truly the engines of EAPS research. DESIGN DIRECTOR This fall we welcomed 21 new graduate students Jen Fentress from seven countries, and we are delighted to report that two EAPS visiting committee members have committed to support our graduate students again PHOTOGRAPHY this year: George J. Elbaum ’59, SM ’63, PhD ’67 continues his support of Helen Hill two Whiteman Fellowships, and Neil Rasmussen ’76, SM ’80 has established the endowed Norman c. Rasmussen Fellowship Fund, annually supporting two - except as noted - graduate fellows in climate science, in perpetuity. And, earlier this year, Arthur c. H. cheng ScD ’78 launched the Sven Treitel ’53 Graduate Student Support ART & PHOTO RESEARCH Fund and is rallying support from his peers to honor the renowned geophys- Allison Provaire ics alumnus. Other exciting news about fellowships will be announced soon.

To acknowledge all of our leading fellowship donors, in the spring we will launch the EAPS Patrons’ circle, honoring their contributions and providing a celebra- EAPS Scope is published annually by the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and tory opportunity for them to meet “their” students. With help from our friends, Planetary Sciences. We welcome your news my goal is to continue to build fellowship resources until we can support all and comments. Please send correspondence to: [email protected] EAPS graduate students throughout the two years before their qualifying exam. Having assured “no-strings-attached” funding, regardless of the restrictions of For up-to-the-minute EAPS news, please visit grant funding, enables EAPS to continue to attract the best and brightest stu- our website: eapsweb.mit.edu/news dents, and allows them the freedom to explore their strengths.

Follow us on Facebook: I thank you all for supporting the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and facebook.com/EAPS.MIT Planetary Sciences, and hope that our paths cross during the coming year! If you have not been receiving the biannual online version of EAPSpeaks, please e-mail: Sincerely yours, [email protected]

Better yet, register for a permanent @alum.mit.edu e-mail alias on the MIT Alumni Association website: Rob van der Hilst alum.mit.edu/benef ts/AlumniBenef ts EAPS Department Head and Schlumberger Professor of Earth Sciences

2 EAPS ScOPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND PlANETARy ScIENcES | MIT ScHOOl OF ScIENcE 3 cONTENTS

4 FEATURE STORY — EARTH: INSIDE-OUT

can’t see it. can’t touch it. How can we know what’s going on inside? EAPS geoscientists have the tools and tenacity to tease apart just how the interior of Earth works. page 4 8 EAPS FACULTY NEWS 2014 was another year of notable faculty achievements. We greeted a new member while three of our current faculty were awarded tenure, and numerous prestigious distinctions were earned.

12 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: BUILDING AFRICA’S FIRST CLIMATE OBSERVATORY

No long-term greenhouse gas observing station exists on the entire African continent—covering a ffth of the world’s land area, this is no small piece of lost data. EAPS grad student, Jimmy Gasore, is working to change that. page 24 14 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: MEASURING THE MIGRATION OF A RIVER

Taylor Perron’s group reveals how river networks transform the landscape on a geologic time-scale, sometimes in unexpected ways. page 14 page 16 16 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

Until now, determining the masses of smaller, potentially life-supporting exoplanets has been a challenge—EAPS graduate student Julien de Wit and supervisor Sara Seager propose a promising new technique to overcome this.

18 DEGREES AWARDED In the 2013-14 academic year EAPS awarded 43 degrees—from PhD to Master’s and Bachelor’s—showcasing an impressive range of thesis topics.

page 12 20 EVENTS, ALUMNI & FRIENDS

Read more about EAPS’ year full of riveting feature lecture events, exciting new fellowship opportunities, and good news from friends.

2 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 3 EARTH: INSIDE-OUT How do you look inside a rock the size of a planet?

By Helen Hill, EAPS Science Writer

Image credit, iStockPhoto

4 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 5 EARTH: INSIDE-OUT How do you look inside a rock the size of a planet?

By Helen Hill, EAPS Science Writer

OOkING INSIDE THE earth Sven Trietel ’53, SM ’55, PhD ’58 (this issue), using seismic or other forms of and contemporaries in the MIT Geophysical geophysical imaging has impor- Analysis Group (GAG), can be credited with tant applications in the search establishing digital subsurface mapping as for and responsible extraction of a central technique underpinning much of lnatural resources like oil, gas, mineral depos- modern oil and gas exploration. its and water. It has a role too in improv- Today, members of what ultimately has ing scientists’ understanding of geologic become EAPS, many of them affliated with hazards, such as enabling them to predict the the Earth Resources laboratory (ERl), carry ground motion in an earthquake. It also pro- that torch forward. As MIT’s primary home vides data leading to a deeper understand- for research and education focused on sub- ing of the fundamental processes at work in surface energy resources, researchers in the heart of our planet with implications for ERl combine contemporary advances in planetary science in general. geophysical imaging with rock physics and MIT has long boasted world-class expertise chemistry, multiphase fow, geomechanics, in geophysics, and geophysical imaging. microseismics, and remote sensing to obtain

4 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 5 a holistic understanding of sub-surface res- images Earth’s deep interior to understand essence of the full expression while minimiz- ervoirs—their structure, the geological mate- more about the thermal and chemical state of ing the computational overhead. Willemsen rials of which they are made, the fuids that our planet and its links to surface processes. benefts from ERL’s interdisciplinary focus, fow through them, and changes that occur Finally, Assistant Professor Germán Prieto often turning to mathematicians affliated with in response to production. (more below) seeks an improved under- the lab, such as laurent Demanet, Assistant standing of the diversity of earthquakes and Professor of Mathematics. For example, cecil and Ida Green Professor the associated ground motions expected of Earth Sciences and Director of the ERl on the surface. lISTENING TO SEE Brad Hager uses seismic data in conjunc- tion with other geophysical measurements Here we focus on the work of three particular Along with destruction, earthquakes provide like GPS to understand surface deformation, EAPS geophysicists developing and apply- scientists with important information about the earthquakes, and dynamical processes in ing the tools and techniques of geophysics structure of Earth’s crust and upper mantle. Earth’s interior. Senior Research Scientist to turn the Earth: Inside-Out. EAPS Assistant Professor of Geophysics Mike Fehler (ERl’s Deputy Director) devel- Germán Prieto grew up in the seismic hot zone ops and tests novel methods for seismic USING MATH TO SEE of colombia, an experience which developed in imaging that can be applied to a number him an early interest in seismology. of problems in reservoir characterization Graduate student lucas “Bram” Willemsen including identifcation of changes in reser- (EAPS’ frst Toksöz fellow) is exploring new Among Prieto’s interests are ambient seismic voirs, identifcation of fractures, and the rela- techniques for estimating elements in the felds. Once regarded as nothing more than tionship of induced seismicity and reservoir approximate Hessian, a matrix operator fun- noise, these signals have recently been structure. Associate Director and chair of damental in numerical techniques used to shown to provide important information about EAPS Program in Geophysics Dale Morgan’s construct velocity models of the subsurface Earth’s structure. Surface wave tomography, research interests, which run the gamut from seismic measurements. The more accu- body wave tomography both for crustal and from geo-electromagnetics to rock physics, rate a velocity model is, the more focused the deep interfaces, crustal anisotropy, attenu- applied seismology to environmental and seismic images will be. ation tomography, and basin amplifcation engineering geophysics, also often rely have all been studied using these signals. heavily on seismic imaging. Schlumberger Exactly calculating and storing all the terms Professor of Geosciences and Head of in this matrix is often too computationally By looking at the spatially coherent signals EAPS Rob van der Hilst, in addition to an demanding. Willemsen is seeking to develop between seismic stations, under certain interest in subsurface reservoir science, a more tractable reduced form, extracting the conditions, researchers are able to extract

6 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 7 IS YOUR NAME ON THE GEOPHYSICS CAN?

LEFT Graduate student Lucas “Bram” Willemsen benefts from ERL’s interdisciplinary focus, collaborating with both his EAPS advisor, Assistant Professor Allison Malcolm, and mathematicians from MIT’s Math Department.

For close to thirty years, EAPS geophysics graduate stu- CENTER dents, on passing their General Exams, have traditionally added In the feld checking a GPS their names to a ceremonial soup can. Diligently passed down antenna, postdoc D. Sarah from generation to generation, the can currently resides on a shelf Stamps works with EAPS in an undisclosed student office in the ERL. Is your name among Professor Brad Hager, this auspicious roll call of former EAPSters? and is also a National Geographic Explorer. You can check out all the faces of the can at: http://bit.ly/eaps-geocan RIGHT Graduate student Alan Where are you now? Get in touch to let us know where your Richardson proudly points to his post-EAPS life has taken you by sending an e-mail to: entry on the EAPS Geophysics [email protected] Can, a longstanding tradition.

an impulse response record similar to the inside our planet, even fundamental pro- mantle in this region? Answers to these and Green’s function of the medium; as if one cesses that are important to the evolution questions like them will hopefully lead to station behaved like a source and the others of life are not necessarily well understood. a better overall understanding of how the were recording the response of Earth’s crust mantle convects. Postdoctoral Associate Elizabeth Day, and upper mantle. In current work, Prieto is working with Rob van der Hilst and grad- Since without mantle convection it is unlikely exploring what additional information can be uate student chunquan yu, uses seismic that there would be plate tectonics, and gleaned from the amplitudes of these empir- imaging to seek a deeper understanding of without plate tectonics it is unlikely that life as ical Green’s functions, both in time and fre- mantle dynamics and Earth’s evolution over we know it would have developed on Earth, quency domains, to see structural variations geologic time. this work could have profound implications within the ground even more clearly. Focusing specifcally on the seismic struc- for our deeper understanding of the early ture of the mantle beneath Hawaii, Day, yu Earth and its subsequent evolution, as well DEEPENING OUR UNDERSTANDING and van der Hilst are trying to understand its as our understanding for other rocky planets. OF THE DEEP EARTH source within the deep Earth. What path do There remain deep unanswered questions the hot plumes that form Hawaii take through Read the full story: about the large-scale processes that occur the mantle? What is the composition of the http://bit.ly/eaps-insideout

6 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 7 FACULTY NEWS

THREE FROM EAPS AWARDED TENURE Congratulations to Tanja Bosak, Paul O’Gorman, and Taylor Perron for their recent tenured appointments in recognition of their achievements, and their contributions to the School of Science.

Tanja Bosak Taylor Perron

Associate Professor Bosak’s research Associate Professor Perron’s overall sci- in experimental geobiology is widely entifc goal is to discover and quantify recognized for its singular creativity, the processes that shape landscapes breadth, and rigor, placing her among on Earth and other planets. His work the leading geobiologists of her gener- combines theory, observations, and ation. Her work addresses the role of laboratory experiments to reveal how a microbes in the profound environmen- planet’s geologic and climatic histories tal changes, such as the rise of atmo- are recorded in its topography. He is a spheric oxygen, that were integral to world expert in crafting elegant models the co-evolution of life and the surface of landscape evolution and comparing environment throughout the frst 80% of their predictions with feld and remote Earth’s history (when microbes were the sensing observations to discover new only form of life). Paul O’Gorman ways of “reading” a landscape’s history. A world-expert in “moist dynamics” (the fuid- and thermodynamics of moist atmo- spheres), Associate Professor Paul O’Gorman studies the infuence of water vapor on how the atmospheric general circulation and the hydrological cycle respond to climate change. With a unique ability to link theory, idealized model- ing, the behavior of complex models, and observations, O’Gorman flls a gap between global modeling and fundamen- tal understanding. He has now emerged as one of the leaders in atmospheric dynamics and modern climate theory.

8 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 9 FACULTY NEWS

TIM GROVE ELECTED TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

CONGRATULATIONS TO phase transitions in minerals, diffusion in crystalline TImOTHY GROvE, EAPS solids and silicate melts, and the time dependence Associate Department Head and of diffusion-controlled processes. cecil and Ida Green Professor Grove holds a PhD from Harvard (1976) and has been of Geology, who was elected to a professor at MIT since 1979. He is a member of the TIm GROvE the American National Academy of Sciences in April. American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow of Recognized by Grove’s research focus is on the processes that have the Minerological Society of America, the American the Academy for led to the chemical differentiation of the crust and Geophysical Union, and the Geochemical Society, his distinguished mantle of Earth and on the processes of formation and and he is the recipient of the 2014 Goldschmidt Award and continuing evolution of the interiors of other planets, the moon, of the Geochemical Society. He was President of the achievements in original research. and meteorite parent bodies. combining geology, geo- American Geophysical Union from 2008-2010. He is physics, and geochemistry to interpret the thermal his- the executive editor for Contributions to Minerology tories of geologic materials, his group studies magma and Petrology. generation processes, crystal growth and nucleation,

EAPS WELCOMES A NEW FACULTY MEMBER

INTRODUCING GREG FOURNIER who joins EAPS hypothesis, establishing the evolution as an Assistant Professor of Geobiology. of Eukarya involved two histories and not a single evolution from Archaea. Fournier’s research links early Earth geochemistry with life history using DNA sequences from extant genomes. Fournier received an A.B. in Genetics Specifcally, he is an expert in the use of fossil/biochem- from Dartmouth (2001) and a PhD ical age calibrations of horizontal gene-transfer (HGT) in Genetics and Genomics from the events to time-calibrate the “Tree of life.” His work has University of connecticut (2009). identifed the HGT origin of acetoclastic methanogen- Since then he has worked as a Postdoctoral Associate GREG FOURNIER esis, demonstrating its consistency with the Permian- at the University of connecticut and, in the past EAPS newest Triassic extinction. Fournier also revealed the impact four years, as a Postdoc in MIT’s Department Assistant Professor of partial gene transfer on the eukaryote “Eocyte” of Biological Engineering.

8 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 9 FACULTY NEWS

ROB VAN DER HILST ELECTED TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

CONGRATULATIONS TO ROb vAN geological time. Using seismic methods he DER HILST, Schlumberger Professor of explores Earth’s interior, all the way down Earth Sciences and EAPS Department from the crust we live on to the core-man- Head, for his election to the American tle boundary which lies some 2,800 km Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the beneath us. nation’s most prestigious honorary societ- Rob holds a PhD from Utrecht Uni- ies. Its current membership includes more versity and has been a member of the than 250 Nobel laureates and more than EAPS faculty since 1996. His other 60 Pulitzer Prize winners. honors include a Packard Fellowship and Rob’s research focuses on the under- the James B. Macelwane Medal from the standing of Earth’s deep interior struc- American Geophysical Union, in addition Rob van der Hilst signing the Book of Members. ture and its evolution over long periods of to an AGU Fellowship.

OTHER RECENT FACU LTY AWARDS AND HONORS

Ed Boyle Awarded the 2014 Fred Frey Geological So- Dan Rothman Was elect- Urey Medal of the European As- ciety of America’s Mineralogy, ed as a Fellow of the American sociation of Geochemistry Geochemistry, Petrology, and Geophysical Union Volcanology Division 2014 Distin- Received 2014 Appoin- Clark Burchfiel guished Geologic Career Award Noelle Selin the Geological Society of Ameri- tee to the Global Young Acade- ca International Section’s Distin- Tom Herring Was elected my, an international group of two guished Career Award for 2013 as a Fellow of the American hundred young scientists select- Academy of Arts and Sciences ed based on research excellence 2015 American Glenn Flierl and commitment to impact. Meteorological Society Henry Taylor Perron Is the 2014 Stommel Research Award; Ameri- recipient of the American Geo- can Geophysical Union Fellow physical Union Macelwane Award

10 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 11 FACULTY NEWS

SIMONS FOUNDATION AWARDS EAPS INVESTIGATORS

ROFESSORS Tanja Bosak, the Simons collaboration on the Origins Mick Follows, and Roger of life. Bosak’s project explores signatures Summons are all recent award- of biological and environmental co-evolution ees of the Simons Foundation, on the early Earth. Summons’ project, enti- a private foundation established tled, “Seeking Evidence of Earth’s Earliest Pin 1994 by James H. Simons ’58 and Marilyn Biogeochemical cycles,” is trying to answer Simons to advance the frontiers of research the questions: What is the earliest record of in mathematics and the basic sciences through microbial life? and How can geochemistry sponsorship of a range of programs that aim to constrain the timing and environments of the promote a deeper understanding of our world. origin and early evolution of life?

Beginning in 2013, the Simons Foundation Associate Professor Mick Follows received launched a program of new funding opportu- funding as part of the Simons collaboration nities for collaborative research on the origins on Ocean Processes and Ecology (ScOPE) of life, and on ocean processes. As a result, for work interpreting the organization of three EAPS investigators have so far bene- microbial communities—like plankton—in fted from the generous grants made available the North Pacifc using theory and numeri- through this new interdisciplinary initiative. cal simulations. PICTURED, FROm TOP Tanja Bosak, Mick Follows, Hayes career Development Associate EAPS is honored to participate in these and Roger Summons Professor of Geobiology Tanja Bosak important collaborative projects, thanks to and Professor of Geobiology Roger the Simons Foundation. Summons received funding as part of

10 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 11 GETTING AFRICA ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE GRID Graduate student and Rwandan native Jimmy Gasore is helping to build Africa’s first climate observatory.

Story by Jimmy Gasore

HE ExPONENTIAl INcREASE of greenhouse gases gas observing station on the entire African continent. covering a since the industrial revolution has and continues to ffth of the world’s land area, this is no small piece of lost data. shift the global climate. Strategies for emissions Thus, the ultimate goal of my research project: Getting Africa on the reduction are usually implemented at the national climate change grid. and regional level, requiring those emissions and As part of my doctoral work in EAPS, I am helping Professor Ron Tthe geographical distribution of their sources to be known on corre- Prinn, and Research Scientist Kat Potter, build the frst high frequency sponding length scales. climate observatory station in Africa. located in the Republic of Greenhouse gas emissions and source distribution informa- Rwanda, the station will be part of the Advanced Global Atmospheric tion is, in general, readily available across the developed world. Gases Experiment (AGAGE), joining a worldwide network of stations A different picture, however, emerges from developing countries; that have been measuring global atmospheric composition contin- for example there exists no long-term high frequency greenhouse uously since 1978.

12 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 13 choosing the right place to host the climate observatory was a chal- Inverse emissions estimation starts by mea- AbOvE lenge by itself. First logistical considerations like power, accessibil- suring atmospheric concentrations of green- Mt. Karisimbi, ity and laboratory space were considered. Second and most impor- house gases and meteorological informa- an extinct volcano tant were technical considerations: the station had to be away from tion, and then, thanks to an elaborate chem- rising to 4500m in cities and towns and high enough to avoid contamination by local ical and physical computer model (that time northwest Rwanda, sources. The station “footprint”, which can be thought of as a map of machine I mentioned), estimating what was will be home to the all possible origins of air masses arriving at the station within a year, emitted at the surface and where, by care- new MIT global was also key in determining the scientifc usefulness of the station. fully taking the molecule back through all climate observatory, the chemical transformations and physical and will be able to The criteria were met by Mount karisimbi, a 4500m extinct volcano mixing it has undergone. sample the entire located in the northwest of the Republic of Rwanda. computer sim- troposphere. ulations indicate that an observatory at this location would be able to At the end of this project, my goal is to be able OPPOSITE, LEFT sample air masses from Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the North, India to provide the frst comprehensive regional Station technicians and the Indian Ocean to the east and Madagascar to the south, high-frequency observation-based emis- at the tower of a together with African countries to the west. sions estimate for central and Eastern Africa. temporary, lower- This information will then form the basis for As well as setting up the station, I will use inverse methods to esti- elevation station on regional carbon policies as well as improv- Mt. Mugogo. mate surface sources and sinks of carbon dioxide and methane. ing our current understanding of the global The process of estimating these quantities is like putting a carbon budget. Furthermore, the estimated OPPOSITE, RIGHT gas molecule in a time machine and tracking it back to where it was sources and sinks of carbon dioxide and MIT Scientist Kat originally emitted. When a gas is released by human activities, like methane will provide additional data for com- Potter and grad cars and power plants, or natural processes like wetland respira- parison with global inversion studies and eco- student Jimmy tion, it undergoes physical processes including mixing and trans- system model calibration, as well as regional Gasore with port by winds, chemical transformation fueled by solar radiation, technicians at the emissions verifcation. as well as chemical reactions with other atmospheric constituents. Mt. Mugogo lab. In combination, these physical and chemical processes determine the Read the MIT News story: Images courtesy of Kat concentration of a given gas measured at a particular time and place. http://bit.ly/eaps-rwanda Potter and Jimmy Gasore

12 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 13 MEASURING THE MIGRATION OF A RIVER Taylor Perron’s group has developed a mapping technique to measure how river networks change, and in which direction they may be moving.

By Jennifer chu, MIT News

14 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 15 ARGE RIvER NETWORkS — such as divide and into opposing rivers, it erodes the under- bOTTOm LEFT those that funnel into the colorado and lying rock. The river on one side of a divide may The San Juan Mississippi rivers — may seem to be per- erode faster than the other, creating an imbalance in River Valley in manent features of a landscape. In fact, the river network. To reach a balance, they reasoned Argentina. Photo many rivers defne political boundaries that that a drainage divide must shift to assume a more courtesy of Taylor Perron lhave been in place for centuries. stable pattern. bOTTOm RIGHT But scientists have long suspected that river networks The team came up with a measurement technique to A rendering of are not as static as they may appear, and have gath- determine the direction in which a divide would have topographical data ered geologic and biological evidence that suggest many to move to bring its river networks into balance, and revealing erosional rivers have been “rewired,” shifting and moving across then made these measurements in actual landscapes, patterns of the a landscape over millions of years. including regions in china, Taiwan, and the southeast- Allegheny River ern United States. They found that while some river network. Now EAPS professor Taylor Perron, together with networks matched the stable pattern—suggesting former postdoc Scott Mccoy and others, have devel- they are relatively static—other networks, such as oped a mapping technique that measures how Images courtesy those in the southeastern United States, produced of Taylor Perron much a river network is changing, and in what direction patterns implying that these regions are currently it may be moving. shifting and changing.

The technique focuses on a river network’s drainage divides—ridgelines, such as along mountain ranges, that act as boundaries between two river basins. Read the full story: As rainwater flows down either side of a drainage http://bit.ly/eaps-river

14 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 15 By Jennifer chu, MIT News

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD New method examining dips in light during planetary transits may help scientists to determine the mass of individual exoplanets.

O DATE, ScIENTISTS have con- works relatively well. But the technique is less success- AbOvE frmed the existence of more than 1,000 ful with smaller planets that orbit much farther from Artistic rendering of an exoplanet-star exoplanets circulating outside our their stars, as Earth does. system. solar system. To determine if any of Now graduate student Julien de Wit and advisor these far-off worlds are habitable Professor Sara Seager have developed a new tech- requires knowing an exoplanet’s mass—which can help Image credit, NASA T nique for determining the mass of exoplanets, using tell scientists whether the planet is made of gas or rock only their transmission spectra—dips in light as and other life-supporting materials. a planet passes in front of its star. This data has tra- But current techniques for estimating exoplanetary ditionally been used to determine a planet’s size mass are limited. Radial velocity is the main method sci- and atmospheric properties, but the MIT team has entists use: tiny wobbles in a star’s orbit as it is tugged found a way to interpret it such that it also reveals around by the planet’s gravitational force, from which the planet’s mass. scientists can derive the planet-to-star mass ratio. For very large, Neptune-sized planets, or smaller Earth- Read the full story: sized planets orbiting very bright stars, radial velocity http://bit.ly/eaps-exoweight

16 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 17 BRINGING GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE FROM CLASSROOM TO THE WORLD Kerry Emanuel is teaching a new massive open online course on MITx.

By vicki Ekstrom, MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI)

OT ONE TO shirk the spotlight in the global warming is highly politicized, and has nothing cause of educating the public about to do with science,” he said in a recent interview, climate change, kerry Emanuel “Nothing could be further from the truth.” launched 12.340x Global Warming Emanuel is pleased with interest in the course; more Science, a new massive open online than 10,000 people have registered. One of the bene- course (MOOc) through MITx, which is part of the N fts of the online class, he refects, is that students can larger edx platform—a non-profit online collegiate- sign up and take the class wherever they live. This spring level learning initiative created by founding partners saw students from all over the world, including India, Harvard and MIT. Bangladesh and several African countries signing up. “It climate change is widely recognized as one of allows me to reach people who might be very bright, very the foremost challenges of this century—one with engaged, possibly future leaders in the feld, who oth- major repercussions for energy, health, agricul- erwise don’t have the opportunity to take a real college ture, and more. kerry Emanuel, MIT’s cecil and Ida course at a real college because of fnancial, political, or Green Professor of Atmospheric Science, there- other reasons,” Emanuel says. “This opens up a world fore feels it is his duty as a citizen and scientist to them. If they’re motivated, I think they can get just as to educate a broad audience on the possible impacts much, if not more, out of the edx platform as someone of climate change. taking it in the classroom.”

Emanuel’s approach to teaching the class maintains Read the full story: a clear boundary between the science and the policy http://bit.ly/eaps-mitx-emanuel of climate change. “Part of the problem is all the pub- Check out all of the MITx and edX course offerings at: licity on global warming has sent out a message that www.edx.org

16 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 17 DOCTORAL DEGREES AWARDED 2013-2014

NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE Abdulaziz AlMuhaidib Geophysics Naf Toksöz Numerical Modeling, Suppression, and Imaging of Elastic Wave Scattering by Near-Surface Heterogeneities

Whitney Bernstein chemical konrad A. Hughen Variations in Coral Reef Net Community Calcifcation and Aragonite Saturation Oceanography [WHOI] State on local and Global Scales Benjamin Black Geology, lindy Elkins-Tanton volatiles as a link Between Planetary interiors and the Environment Geochemistry & Geobiology Scott Burdick Geophysics Rob van der Hilst Teleseismic Transmission and Refection Tomography

Seth Burgess Geology, Sam Bowring High-Precison U/Pb Geochronology of large Igneous Provinces and Mass Geochemistry & Extinctions: Testing coincidence and causation Geobiology Alison criscitiello Marine Geology Sarah Das [WHOI] Amundsen Sea Sea-Ice variability, Atmospheric circulation, and Spatial variations & Geophysics in Snow Isotopic composition from New West Antarctic Firn cores Timothy cronin climate Physics kerry Emanuel land-Atmosphere interaction and Radiative-convective Equilibrium & chemistry Nathaniel Dixon Geophysics Brian Evans Experimental constraints on the Rheological Behavior of Olivine at Upper Mantle conditions

Alex Evans Geophysics Maria Zuber Geophysical Evolution of Planetary Interiors and Surfaces : Moon & Mars

xinding Fang Geophysics Mike Fehler Geophysical characterization of the Effects of Fractures and Stress on Subsurface Reservoirs Jessica Fitzsimmons chemical Ed Boyle The Marine Biogeochemistry of Dissolved and colloidal Iron Oceanography christopher Follett chemical Dan Rothman Heterogeneous Reservoirs in the Marine carbon cycle Oceanography Meagan Gonneea chemical Matthew charette Temporal variability in chemical cycling of the Subterranean Estuary and Oceanography [WHOI] Associated chemical loading to the coastal Ocean Hui Huang Geophysics Rob van der Hilst Ambient Noise Tomography for Wavespeed and Anisotrophy in the crust of Southwestern china

Peter James Geophysics Maria Zuber Geophysical Insights into the Histories of venus, Mercury and the Moon

Junlun li Geophysics Naf Toksöz Study of Induced Seismicity for Reservoir characterization

Sara lincoln Geology, Roger Summons Molecular Studies of the Sources and Signifcance of Archaeal Lipids in the Ocean Geochemistry & Geobiology kathleen Munson chemical carl lamborg [WHOI] Transformations of Mercury in the Marine Water column Oceanography Daniel Ohnemus chemical Phoebe lam [WHOI] The Biogeochemistry of Marine Particulate Trace Metals Oceanography Elise Olson Physical Dennis McGillicuddy Investigating the Role of Trichodesmium Spp. in the Oceanic Nitrogen cycle Oceanography [WHOI] Through Observations and Models xuefeng Shang Geophysics Rob van der Hilst Inverse Scattering: Theory and Application to the Imaging of the Earth’s Seismic Discontinuities

Erin Shea Geology, Sam Bowring Arc Magmatism at Different crustal levels, North cascades, Washington Geochemistry & Geobiology Martin Singh Atmospheric Paul O’Gorman The Response of Moist convection and the Atmospheric General circulation Science to climate Warming Sonia Tikoo-Schantz Planetary Science Ben Weiss Decline of the lunar Dynamo

18 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 19 DOCTORAL DEGREES AWARDED 2013-2014 continued

NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE Michael Toomey Marine Geology Jeffrey P. Donnelly Quaternary Morphology and Paleoenvironmental Records of carbonate Islands & Geophysics [WHOI]

Allison Wing Atmospheric kerry Emanuel Physical Mechanisms controlling Self-Aggregation of convection in Idealized Science Numerical Modeling Simulations

MASTER’S DEGREES AWARDED 2013-2014

NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE

Daniel Amrhein Physical Ocean carl Wunsch An inverse Approach to Understanding Benthic Oxygen Isotope Records from the last Deglaciation Shaena Berlin Atmospheric Dan cziczo An Electrodynamic Balance (EDB) for Extraterrestrial cloud Formation Studies Science Alex Evans Earth and Planetry Tanja Bosak characteristics of cone-Forming cyanobacteria and Implications for the Origin Sciences of conical Stromatolites Sarvesh Garimella climate Physics Dan cziczo cloud condensation Nucleus Activity comparison of Dry- and Wet-Generated & chemistry Mineral Dust Aerosol: the Signifcance of Soluble Material

Marie Giron Earth & Planetry Roger Summons Establishing Geochemical constraints on Mass Accumulation Rates Across Sciences the cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary With Extraterrestrial Helium-3 Ruel Jerry Geophysics Brad Hager Effects of Subsurface Fracture interactions on Surface Deformation

Roman kowch Atmospheric kerry Emanuel Diurnal Analysis of intensity Trends in Atlantic Tropical cyclones Science

Jing liu Geophysics Rob van der Hilst Subsurface Tomography and Surface Deformation in krýsuvík Geothermal Field, Southwest Iceland yodit Tewelde Planetary Science Maria Zuber constraining the Average Fill Densitites of Mars’ lowlands and Fluvial Erosion of Titan’s Polar Regions

BACHELOR’S DEGREES AWARDED 2013-2014

NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE

Ann Alampi Undergraduate Mike Fehler Effectiveness of Microseismic Monitoring for Optimizing Hydraulic Fracturing in california

Jessica Fujimori Undergraduate David McGee Ice-Rafted Debris in the Southern Ocean: Potential Uses and limitations & Elizabeth Pierce of 230Th-Normalized Fluxes (Wellesley college) Jessica Haskins Undergraduate Susan Solomon The Effect of volcanic Aerosols on Mid-latitude Ozone Recovery

Matthew Joss Undergraduate Saul Rappaport Rapidly Rotating k Stars and the Detection of Relatively young Hierarchical (Physics) k Star Systems

Rachel keeler Undergraduate Noelle Selin A Neural Network Model of Manhattan Air Pollution at High Spatial Resolution & Marguerite Nyhan (course 11) kathryn Materna Undergraduate Tom Herring Analysis of Atmospheric Delays and Asymmetric Positioning Errors in the Global Positioning System Elise Myers Undergraduate Roger Summons complex lipids in Microbial Mats and Stromatolites of Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Australia

Naomi Schurr Undergraduate Taylor Perron Climatic Infuences on Hillslope Soil Transport Effciency & Paul Richardson

18 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 19 IT cORPORATION so mankind can better grasp the long term MEMBER Neil Rasmussen consequences of the decisions our societies ’76, SM ’80 and Anna are making every day.” Winter Rasmussen have Professor Rasmussen was the frst to apply supported two gradu- probabilistic risk assessment techniques to Mate fellows in climate science every year nuclear power plant safety studies, and he for the past three years. While attending debated the risks publicly in the ’60s and ’70s the John carlson lecture and dinner when nuclear power development was tre- recently, Neil and Anna had an opportunity mendously controversial. During many lively to meet the 2014-15 fellows, and announced debates in crowded lecture halls, and even on they have decided to endow the fellowship Tv with people like Henry kendall and Ralph fund in perpetuity. Nader, Norman Rasmussen always main- tained that the unfettered burning of fossil Naming the new fund in honor of his late fuels could pose a serious risk to society in father, Norman c. Rasmussen—who was the future, and that the continued develop- Professor of Nuclear Engineering at MIT ment of safer nuclear power technology might A NEW from 1958-1994, and who served as the provide a valuable option for us to meet the Department Head for Nuclear Engineering RASMUSSEN growing energy needs of mankind with lower from 1975-1981—Neil spoke eloquently risk to our planet. FELLOWSHIP about what he and Anna hoped to achieve: “It is our hope that these fellowships will “My father dedicated his career to trying to FUND allow ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and research in improve the understanding of societal risks. climate science. An improved understanding Advancing our understanding of climate ANNOUNCED of how our climate works is urgently needed science is a ftting way to honor his legacy.”

THE 2014-15 RASMUSSEN FELLOWS:

Tom Beucler Tom graduated from the École Polytechnique in Paris where he studied math, physics, chemistry and fluid dynamics. Working with his advisor, kerry Emanuel, Tom is now researching the formation of cyclones and seeking to understand the physics of convection.

AbOvE Neil and Anna Katie Castagno Rasmussen katie is an MIT-WHOI Joint Program student have endowed with a master’s degree in Marine Affairs from a new graduate the University of Rhode Island. katie is, “pas- fellowship fund in sionate about policy surrounding the ever- climate science. changing coastline.” currently she is research- ing paleotempestology in the northeastern U.S., with her WHOI supervisor, Jeff Donnelly.

20 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 21 EAPS WELCOMES A NEW SENIOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER ANGELA ELLIS jOINED EAPS as regional and global environmental programs. “It’s Senior Development Officer in July, great to have “Earth” back in my job description”, said moving across from MIT Resource Angela, “I’m thrilled to be here and enjoying getting Development where she had been to know EAPS faculty members, alums and donors. Associate Director of Foundation Relations since It already feels like home.” Angela looks forward December 2011, supporting faculty in the life sci- to meeting many more EAPS alums and friends at ANGELA ELLIS EAPS Senior ences. Before coming to MIT, Angela had worked the upcoming AGU conference. If you’re going, Development Offcer for The Nature conservancy for 9 years—raising please make sure you stop by the EAPS reception [email protected] funds for land and water conservation and other to meet Angela! THE 2014 JOHN CARLSON LECTURE

ETER MOlNAR, REcIPIENT of The lorenz center is a climate the Royal Swedish Academy of think tank based in EAPS Sciences’ 2014 crafoord Prize for devoted to fundamental inquiry Geophysics, drew a crowd of 250 to the and cross-disciplinary, curios- New England Aquarium IMAx Theater ity-driven research, drawing Pfor the 4th Annual John carlson lecture, entitled “Big on the expertise of scientists Cats, Panamá, And Armadillos: A Story of Climate and and engineers from across the Life,” sponsored by the lorenz center, on October 16th. MIT campus.

Molnar, Professor of Geological Sciences and Fellow of The Annual John carlson the cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental lecture communicates exciting Image credit, Tony Pulsone Sciences at the University of colorado at Boulder, gave new results in climate science to a fascinating talk that led the audience to ponder what a general audience. Free of charge and open to the READ mORE really led to the Great American Biotic Interchange of general public, the lecture is made possible by a gen- AND WATCH species almost 3 million years ago. THE LECTURE: erous gift from John H. carlson. http://bit.ly/eaps- After the lecture, and some probing questions from the kerry Emanuel, cecil and Ida Green Professor of carlson2014 audience, 75 guests joined lecture benefactor and host Meteorology, and Daniel H. Rothman, Professor John carlson, along with MIT School of Science Dean of Geophysics, are co-directors of the lorenz center, Mike Sipser, New England Aquarium President Nigella which is named in honor of their late colleague Hillgarth, and EAPS faculty and students for a dinner Edward N. lorenz, a pioneer of chaos theory and an to continue lively discussions about climate and the early contributor to climate science. lorenz center’s work.

20 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 21 THE SVEN TREITEL ’53 GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT FUND Honoring a pioneer of modern oil and gas exploration

N TODAy’S DIGITAl era, it In honor of Sven Treitel’s extraordinary contribution to is hard to imagine that the oil geophysics, EAPS alum Arthur cheng, Sc.D. ’78 (xII), and gas industry once relied on Professor of civil and Environmental Engineering at labor-intensive interpretations National University of Singapore, has launched a new of analog signals to determine Graduate Student Support fund in his name with a gen- Iwhere to drill. Nowadays, the indus- erous fve-year pledge. “Sven Treitel was a visiting pro- try is one of the most computer-inten- fessor at MIT when I was a graduate student and he sive. Exploration would be unthink- was a great role model for me”, says Dr. cheng, who able without the digital methods of is now spearheading efforts to build the Sven Trietel subsurface mapping frst conceived ’53 Graduate Student Support Fund to $1M, adding: in a small lab in MIT’s legendary “Now is the perfect time to acknowledge Sven’s giant AbOvE Building 20 back in the 1950s. This is where Sven contribution to geophysics.” Sven Treitel ’53, Treitel, then a student working with the Geophysical SM ’55, PhD ’58, Analysis Group (GAG), began to apply mathemati- THE NEED FOR SUPPORT pioneer of modern cian Norbert Weiner’s ideas to see if a computer could digital seismic process seismograms more accurately than students Graduate students play a vital role in EAPS by conduct- data processing, poring over photographs with magnifying glasses. This ing advanced research, teaching and mentoring under- received the Marcus research laid the groundwork for the “digital revolution” graduates, and helping to attract world-class faculty. Our Milling Legendary in exploration seismology. goal is to build the Sven Treitel ’53 Graduate Student Geoscientist Medal Support Fund so it will provide a full fellowship for an in 2012. Born in Germany and raised in Argentina, Sven Treitel EAPS graduate student every year, in perpetuity. We ’53, SM ’55, PhD ’58 spent 9 years studying Geology invite you to join us in honoring the lifetime achieve- and Geophysics at MIT. As a course xII graduate ments of Dr. Sven Treitel by contributing to the Sven student he supported his studies by working in the Treitel ’53 Graduate Student Support Fund. your gift GAG, a research group sponsored by oil and geophysi- in any amount is greatly appreciated. For more infor- cal service companies. Although by 1957, GAG’s indus- mation, please contact Angela Ellis, EAPS Senior trial sponsors believed that the research had run its Development Offcer at 617-253-5796 or [email protected] course, Sven Treitel trusted in its potential to change the landscape of geophysical exploration, and dedicated To make a gift online please visit: years of his career at Amoco to developing and refning http://bit.ly/eaps-giving and choose the Sven Treitel digital signal processing. ’53 Graduate Student Support Fund (3312160)

22 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 23 TED MADDEN MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM

S y MPOSIUM “From the Earth’s core to the crust” (chaired by EAPS’ TO HONOR the Nafi Toksöz) included Michael Bergman ’92 (Bard life and work college), Randall Mackie ’91 (cGG), Dave lockner ’90 of Professor (USGS), David Fitterman ’75, Peter Molnar (University Theodore “Ted” of colorado), yves Barnabe ’86 (EAPS), and Phil Nelson AMadden, who died in November ’67 (USGS). The afternoon session “From the Earth’s 2013 at age 88, was held on crust to Outer Space” (chaired by EAPS’ Brad Hager) AbOvE March 14, 2014. The event brought together the Madden included Dale Morgan ’81 (EAPS), Earle Williams ’81 A tableau of awards family, current and former EAPS faculty, and former stu- (MIT), Adolfo Figuero-vinas ’81 (NASA Goddard), and and memorabilia dents, refecting both the extraordinarily broad scope Norman Ness ’59. An in-absentia video message from remembering of Professor Madden’s research, as well as the affec- Jon claerbout (Stanford) was also shown. The keynote Ted Madden ’49, tion and respect that he inspired at MIT and beyond. address was given by Donald Paul ’67 (USc). PhD ’61, and MIT Professor of Introduced by EAPS Department Head Rob van der Read more and watch video of the symposium: Geophysics. Hilst, speakers in the symposium’s morning session http://bit.ly/eaps-madden

INTRODUCING THE FIRST THEODORE MADDEN ’49 FELLOW

strategy for CO2 sequestration. Haoyue Wang Haoyue attended Peking University, receiving a BSc in geology in 2009 We are delighted that the Theodore and a BA in economics in 2011. Madden Fellowship fund reached We are grateful to all who helped the $1M benchmark, enabling EAPS us to launch the Madden Fellowship to award its first Madden Fellowship Fund. Leadership donors included this academic year. Our inaugural John S. Reed ’61, Donald Paul ’67, Theodore Richard Madden ’49 Fellow Jie Zhang PhD ’97 and Crafoord is Haoyue Wang, a graduate student Geosciences. in the Earth Resources Laboratory Theodore Richard Madden ’49 currently studying the interaction If you missed the opportunity, and Fellowship Fund (#3305800) between carbonate rock and acidic would like to make a contribution, by mail or online: fluid, in search of a better injection donations can be made to the http://bit.ly/eaps-giving

22 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 23 A N E W ANNUAL LEC TURE

EAPS traces its origins to the founding of MIT by the geolo- gist William Barton Rogers in 1861. Today, members of the EAPS Department seek to understand the history of solar systems, the origin and evolution of Earth’s GOT crust, atmosphere, hydro- sphere and biosphere, as well as human impacts on CURIOSITY? the environment. The 2014 William F. Brace Lecture Intended as an annual vehicle for showcasing this huge interdisciplinary reach, the Brace Lecture is being established to honor the first Head of EAPS, William F. Brace, and share the physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and even engi- neering, which go on inside the Green Building.

Image credits, NASA The William F. Brace Annual Lecture Fund has ORMER EAPS PROFESSOR, dusty tracks, from Gale crater into an alluvial been established to endow now NASA curiosity Rover fan towards the foothills of Mount Sharp. this lecture series in perpe- chief scientist John Grotzinger, For a little over an hour, Grotzinger’s talk put tuity. To make a gift in honor was the featured speaker the audience back in the NASA control room of William F. Brace, please at the First Annual Brace of “7 minutes of terror” fame, and then frmly Flecture “Exploring Mars with the curiosity visit our online page at: on the surface of the Red Planet itself, “dust Rover: The Search for Ancient Habitable http://bit.ly/eaps-giving on feet,” boring into the ground, looking over Environments.” and select the William F. the shoulder of NASA scientists seeking an Brace Annual Lecture Fund On Friday May 9, over three hundred faculty answer to the question “Could life have four- and students, together with members of the ished in this now arid and inhospitable place?” (3839360); or use the public, packed the Stata center lecture Hall enclosed envelope to send for a high tech trek from Earth to Mars and Read more and even watch the full lecture: your gift by regular mail. then on, following in the curiosity Rover’s http://bit.ly/eaps-brace2014

24 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 25 TOKSÖZ

Naf Toksöz with Lucas Willemsen AND and Chen Gu, past and present fellows WHITEMAN FELLOWS NAMED FOR 2014/15 Mingwei Li chen Gu has been named as the second EAPS visiting committee member George M. Nafi Toksöz Fellow in Geophysics, J. Elbaum ’59, SM ’63, PhD ’67 and his wife which is particularly ftting as her primary Mimi Jensen have committed to funding the academic advisor is Professor Nafi Whiteman fellowships again this academic Toksöz himself. Interested in the Earth and year. This will not only help 2nd year EAPS planets since she was a child, Gu, orig- graduate student Mingwei li for the year, inally from Sezhou, china, came to the but also fellow students Sandra Shedd and Earth Resources lab in EAPS in 2010 as Jared Atkinson for the Spring term. it offered, “one of the greatest geophysics li’s research is about predicting future programs in the world.” chinese anthropogenic emissions of air pol- “It’s a special honor to be named as the lutants and their impacts on the air quality Jared Atkinson Toksöz fellow,” says Gu, “Professor Toksöz over the U.S. cares for his students as if they were his Shedd has two research projects which look own kids and works very hard to support at the response of precipitation to climate our ideas, help us solve problems and to change from different angles; and Atkinson’s prepare us professionally.” research has led him to explore the nascent Gu’s research involves studies of hydrofrac- science of space resource extraction—with turing-related acoustic events and induced a view to potential asteroid mining. seismicity in oil/gas felds. In her spare time, We look forward to introducing all of our she is active in leading both chinese and graduate fellows to their generous spon- geophysics student activities and enjoys sors at the EAPS Patrons’ circle kick-off tennis and chinese arts such as calligra- on April 9th! Sandra Shedd phy and gu-qin music.

24 EAPS Sc OPE | 2014-2015 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 25 HONORING OUR LEADERSHIP DONORS Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Patrons’ Circle

EllOWSHIP FUNDING Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences ENSURES that EAPS can Patrons’ circle – a new recognition group maintain its edge in attract- for our leadership donors who have made We are grateful to our ing the very best graduate a gift or pledge of over $70,000 to endowed founding Patrons’ Circle students. Department Head or expendable fellowship funds. This will members: FRob van der Hilst is delighted, therefore, that include those who have provided for grad- EAPS is to add two new endowed fellow- uate fellowships in their estate plans. • Roger J. & Noreen A. Breeding ship funds to its previous roster of fve: the Patrons’ circle members will be invited to Norman c. Rasmussen fund (see this issue) a celebratory annual event every Spring, • Patricia Callahan & David Dee and the callahan-Dee Fellowship Fund where donors, fellows and faculty can meet recently established by Patricia callahan over dinner to share their research and to • Arthur C. H. Cheng ’75, SM ’77 and David Dee. Rob’s ultimate build friendships. The kick-off event will be • George J. Elbaum & Mimi Jensen vision is to be able to fund all of our graduate held on Thursday April 9th at MIT. students during their frst two years at MIT, If you would like to become a member of the • Breene & Sheryl Kerr to give our students maximum fexibility to EAPS Patrons’ circle, consider making a gift unleash their natural curiosity and explore or pledge of $70,000 or more to an EAPS • Eric Michelman different research interests. With help from fellowship or graduate student support fund, Eric Michelman ’76, SM ’78 we have also or establishing your own fund named in • Neil E. Rasmussen established the EAPS Graduate Student & Anna Winter Rasmussen honor of a family member, faculty, student, Support Fund where alums and friends can or friend. • John S. & Cynthia L. Reed make annual gifts to support our students.

To honor all of our generous fellowship Contact Angela Ellis for more information at • Jie Zhang donors, EAPS is launching the Earth, [email protected] or 617-253-5796.

UPCOMING EAPS EVENTS

Dec 15 EAPS Recep- Feb 5 Author’s Night May 8 Emma Rogers Jun 4 Doctoral Hood- tion at the American with Clark Burchfiel Society Spring Insider ing and Luncheon Geophysical Union Feb 19 School of Series with Sara June 5 Commence- Conference Science Breakfast Seager, for widows ment and Reception with Dan Czizco and widowers of MIT Jan 21 MIT Club of faculty and alumni/ae Northern California Apr 9 EAPS Patrons’ Keep up with events at: event with John Marshall Circle Reception eapsweb.mit.edu/events

26 EAPSPEAk S | FAll 2014 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 27 SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT The Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Above all EAPS is a vibrant learning com- Planetary Sciences (EAPS) is the place munity, preparing undergraduate and grad- at MIT where the turbulent oceans and uate students to be future leaders in aca- atmospheres, the inaccessible depths demia, government, and industry. Through of inner Earth, distant planets, and the fieldwork, theory, experimentation, and origins of life all come together under one modeling, we seek to advance understand- intellectual roof. ing of the natural world. While our empha- sis is on answering fundamental scientifc EAPS is about hard, quantitative science, questions, our work can also have important known for its emphasis on academic rigor, implications in addressing our current global hands-on training, collaboration, and the challenges, such as climate change, air pol- cross-fertilization of ideas—encompassing lution, the sustainable use of the world’s atmospheric science, climate, geobiology, resources, and natural hazards. geology, geochemistry, geophysics, oceans, and planetary sciences.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS EAPS DISCRETIONARY FUND Help EAPS maintain a competitive edge in Give EAPS the fexibility to address attracting the very best graduate students unforeseen challenges and take advan- by making a contribution to one of our grad- tage of exciting opportunities by uate student support or fellowship funds making an unrestricted gift to the EAPS (list below). EAPS graduate students are Discretionary Fund (2734903). This fund the lifeblood of our department, teaching allows faculty, researchers, and stu- and mentoring undergraduates and forging dents to pursue ideas deemed too risky new paths of research. your gift could help for federal funding, to undertake feld provide students with the freedom and fex- research or travel to conferences, and it ibility to complete their coursework and can also support much-needed upgrades pursue new research interests. With a gift of laboratory equipment. or pledge of $70,000 or more, become a founding member of the new EAPS To learn more about our funding priorities Patrons’ Circle! please visit us online: • EAPS Graduate Student Support Fund (3857220) http://eapsweb.mit.edu/alumni/giving • M. Naf Toksöz Fellowship Fund (3311750) Or contact: Angela Ellis • Sven Treitel ’53 Graduate Student EAPS Senior Development Offcer Support Fund (3312160) 617.253.5796 | [email protected] • Theodore Richard Madden ’49 Fellowship Fund (3305800) To give online visit: To establish a new fund for EAPS graduate students, please contact Angela Ellis. http://bit.ly/eaps-giving

26 EAPSPEAk S | FAll 2014 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIc AND Pl ANETARy Sc IENc ES | MIT Sc HOOl OF Sc IENc E 27 massachusetts Institute of Technology NONPROFIT ORG. Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences U.S. POSTAGE PAID 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 54-918 cAMBRIDGE, MA cambridge, MA 02139 PERMIT NO. 54016

visit us on the web: http://eapsweb.mit.edu

Follow us: facebook.com/EAPS.MIT twitter.com/eapsMIT fl ickr.com/photos/eapsmit