EAPS Scope

NEWSLETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | 2018-2019

FEATURED THIS ISSUE The Earth News PAGE 7 Friends PAGE 26 Every day, EAPS scientists and students Susan Solomon earns Crafoord Prize Seed funds fom EAPS friends grow conduct discovery-driven research • NASA recognizes Binzel’s work on the future of research • The MIT-WHOI to understand the processes shaping OSIRIS-REx with highest civilian Joint Program celebrates 50 • Symposium our planet—investigating Earth’s deep scientist medal • Royden and Seager honors the lives and scientific legacies of interior structures, the forces that build inducted into the American Academy Jule Charney and Ed Lorenz • Planetary mountains and trigger earthquakes, of Arts & Sciences • Selin becomes Astronomy Lab’s golden anniversary • the climatic influences that shape director of MIT’s TPP • Bergmann Earth Resources Laboratory remembers landscapes and stir the oceans, and the awarded a Packard Fellowship • Perron Joe Walsh • Student research highlights conditions that foster life. named Associate Department Head and degrees awarded in 2018 EDITORIAL TEAM LETTER FROM THE Angela Ellis CONTENTS Jennifer Fentress HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT Lauren Hinkel 4 Dear Alumni and Friends, FEATURE STORY — THE WORLD AT OUR FINGERTIPS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS From deep-time to anthropogenic processes, our researchers are investigating Angela Ellis Welcome to the 2018-19 edition of EAPS Scope, focusing relationships of climate, environment, and lithosphere using technology in novel ways and driving innovation. Jennifer Fentress on the Earth. Here, we reflect on the most notable Helen Hill achievements and events of the Earth, Atmospheric and Lauren Hinkel Planetary Sciences (EAPS) community from the past year, 7 EAPS FACULTY NEWS Josh Kastorf and share stories about new scientific advances and the people who are helping us achieve our endeavors. Highlights of the awards, honors, and promotions our faculty recieved in 2017-2018. Brandon Milardo page 12 Scott Murray (IDSS) First, it is my pleasure to applaud Susan Solomon, Lee 12 RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies, COPY EDITORS for winning the 2018 Crafoord Prize for Geosciences. Two EAPS research groups looking into how river networks form and evolve discover that hydrology and geomorphology are linked in sometimes surprising ways. Roberta Allard The award recognizes her fundamental contributions to Brandon Milardo understanding the role of atmospheric trace gases in Earth’s climate system. EAPS is thrilled to congratulate Professor Solomon for this well-deserved accolade. Allison Provaire 14 DIAMONDS IN THE DEEP This Fall, we celebrated 50 years of the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Joint A new study of the composition of the Earth’s mantle makes an unexpected discovery: DESIGN & LAYOUT Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering with an interinstitutional a quadrillion tons of diamond could lie buried 100 miles beneath our feet. Jennifer Fentress event at MIT and WHOI. Over two days, we enjoyed reconnecting with many alumni and seeing past leaders in the field like renowned oceanographer and former WHOI Provost 16 SNOWBALLS, FOSSILS, AND BEARS Dr. Arthur “Art” E. Maxwell, who helped to found the Joint Program. We also warmly thanked his daughter Delle Maxwell SM ‘83 and her husband Patrick Hanrahan, who were also in With an exceptional fossil record of microscopic organisms, the sedimentology of attendance, for their generous support for the endowed Arthur E. Maxwell Fellowship Fund Svalbard, Norway is a perfect time capsule for the Bergmann Lab, working in the field to at WHOI, and for launching the Maxwell-Hanrahan Research and Education Fund at MIT that study the relationship of climate and the diversity and evolution of complex life. will help to continue Art’s oceanographic legacy. page 14

18 BIG OCEANS. TINY MICROBES. SEA BIOMES. We appreciated reestablishing and strengthening relationships with more EAPS friends and alumni throughout the year. In February, Course XIX alums and many world-class climate Mick Follows leads a new Simons collaboration of oceanography, statistics, data science, researchers celebrated the extraordinary legacies of MIT Professors and meteorologists ecology, biogeochemistry, and remote sensing to understand the Earth’s largest biome.

Edward Lorenz and Jule Charney after the centenary of their shared birth year. In April, the EAPS Scope is published annually by the MIT Earth Resources Lab honored the late Dr. Joseph B. Walsh, doyen of rock mechanics, while Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary 20 COLD WORLD EXPLORERS planetary scientists gathered in Cambridge and Westford to mark the 50th anniversary of the Sciences. We welcome your news and comments. Planetary Astronomy Lab. page 18 page 16 By icebreaker and snowmobile, EAPS students venture deep into polar territory to Please send correspondence to: learn what these extreme environments can tell us about Earth’s evolving systems. [email protected] Continued innovation and advances in basic research like those taking place in EAPS each day would not be possible without facilities to support them. So, I am pleased to report that plans 22 FROM CAMBRIDGE TO KILAUEA to build state-of-the-art climate science labs in Building 4 are progressing nicely. Additionally, For up-to-the-minute EAPS news, please visit our crowning vision to create the Earth and Environment Pavilion—that will add an attractive, Kilauea’s headline-dominating eruption in 2018 prompted us to take a look back at our website: eapsweb.mit.edu/news EAPS deep ties to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory—from its origin right up to today. collaborative workspace and portal to the Green Building—is also coming into focus, with two new 7-figure gifts towards our $30m fundraising campaign. While we still have a way Follow us on social media: to go, we are now optimistic that this venue for earth-centered research and education will 24 facebook.com/EAPS.MIT THE BIRTH OF DIGITAL SEISMOLOGY soon become a reality, and we are eager to partner with other visionary philanthropists who twitter.com/eapsMIT understand the central role that the earth sciences play in ensuring a sustainable future. A little friendly banter between MIT professors led to a seismic shift in geophysical data flickr.com/photos/eapsmit analysis—driven by efforts of alumni and giving rise to a progenitor of ERL.

We thank alumni and friends whose financial backing underpins the health and intellectual To receive the monthly e-newsletter EAPSpeaks, page 20 vigor of the EAPS community, and are truly grateful for those individuals, corporations, and please e-mail: [email protected] 26 PLANTING SEEDS TO GROW THE FUTURE OF RESEARCH foundations who support our faculty and students, allowing them to thrive. Investments from our friends into bold, new ideas from our faculty can catalyze major Register for a permanent @alum.mit.edu e-mail government funding and research innovation. Wishing you all happy holidays, and health and success in 2019. alias on the MIT Alumni Association website: alum.mit.edu/benefits/AlumniBenefits 30 STUDENTS AND SCIENCE, PAST AND PRESENT Highlights from the many celebrations in 2018 of EAPS research and academic program page 29 milestones, and a glimpse of what our students are investigating now. Rob van der Hilst

2 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 3 like exploring for natural resources and safely extracting them some surprising ways: the same types of radar instrumentation from the ground, and expanding our ability to forecast, mitigate, that map the movement of glaciers and their beds can also be and adapt to natural hazards. adapted to help mitigate environmental hazards, like pinpointing marine oil spills and tracking wildfire perimeters. EAPS traces its roots back to 1861 with William Barton Rogers, a geologist and MIT’s founder and first president. Geology and Kristin Bergmann, the Victor P. Starr Career Development Assis- THE WORLD AT Mining Engineering (Course IV) was one of the original six tant Professor, also makes plenty of instrument observations in courses taught at MIT. As our understanding of the Earth’s systems environments shaped by glaciation, but what she’s looking for is has grown, the curricula and research foci have evolved into much different: rocks that capture the early history of complex the department today (Course XII)—a multidisciplinary hub, life and the environmental conditions that supported it. Her work where students and faculty are able to pursue innovative has taken her to fossil-rich places like Norway, Newfoundland, research collaborations to investigate the forces which shape Oman, and California’s Death Valley, where she and her group map OUR FINGERTIPS the natural world. spatial variations and make 3D reconstructions of the stratigra- phy using geographic information system technology (GIS) and INTERSECTIONS Catalyzing our novel approach are the four complementary and intersecting themes studied in EAPS—Earth. Planets. Climate. Life. Among the department’s many examples, Associate Profes- sor Taylor Perron’s research is just one. Perron and his group examine how landscapes form and evolve on Earth and other planets, and in the process often join forces with colleagues to probe deeper into their investigations. In the past, Perron and postdoctoral fellow Dino Bellugi teamed with Paul O’Gorman, associate professor of atmospheric science, to develop new land- slide prediction models, which consider regional geology and local climates, with the potential to help communities prepare for disaster in the face of climate change. At present, the Perron Group is charting new paths in river research: working with researchers in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering to explore on the microscale how turbulent flows move sand and gravel; dipping into the field of evolutionary biology by revealing how changes in river paths over millions of years might be responsible for the exceptional diversity of fish in regions like the southeastern U.S.; delving into archaeology with colleagues in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering to learn how rivers and plate tectonics shaped prehistoric human agriculture; and even studying how rivers of methane sculpted the icy surface of Saturn’s moon Titan. (Read more about Perron’s research on pages 12 and 26)

EQUIPPED EAPS scientists are armed with sophisticated tools, in the field and in the lab, to image, map, measure, and track changes in the Over Earth’s 4.6 billion-year existence, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HUMANKIND, we’ve marveled at Earth, its biosphere, and its climate systems through deep-time drone-mounted cameras. Back in the lab, they apply clumped the planet we call home. A combination of innate curiosity and the to the Anthropocene like never before. isotope thermometry, petrography, and microanalytical tech- change is the one constant. EAPS investigators practical need to understand how the natural world works has niques to their carbonate sedimentary rock samples. Together, are leveraging the latest technologies to ensured our species’ survival. Now we find ourselves at a crossroads: Pushing the envelope of remote sensing technology and geodetic these methods help to place and characterize events of climate trying to understand not only the delicate interplay of Earth’s sys- instrumentation, Assistant Professor Brent Minchew and his group change, evolution, and extinction on Earth’s timeline. (Read more conduct novel, discovery-driven research in tems but also the effects human activity has on that fine balance. of geophysicists, glaciologists, mechanicians, and geodesists about Bergmann’s research on page 16) order to understand the processes shaping seek to understand how glaciers evolve in response to climatic In MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences changes and how they, in turn, impact landform evolution and MODEL BEHAVIOR our planet—including how we affect it. (EAPS), that same fundamental curiosity drives our research. How the global carbon cycle. Using interferometric synthetic aperture Not all of our research relies on tough fieldwork; sometimes, do rivers form and evolve? What role do marine microbes play in radar (IfSAR/InSAR) data and optical imagery, Minchew and his computers do the heavy lifting. Data processing, analysis, and the carbon cycle? What can ancient sediments and stalagmites team innovate techniques and software to measure and create computational modeling are important tools for every research tell us about past and future climates and the influence on life? detailed maps of ice flow and mechanics, and develop dynamical group in EAPS. And some faculty, like Professors Glenn Flierl and Our research into the origin, evolution, and future of our planet models. One application for this work is to improve future sea Dan Rothman, are applying these methods to an ever-widening can also help to address practical needs to sustain life on Earth— level projections. The group has also employed their methods in range of questions. »»

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As an oceanographer, ity to amplify responses, causing large downstream effects. Glenn Flierl is a master Matěj Peč, assistant professor of geophysics, investigates both modeler of fluid dynam- the fine details and large forces at play in rock deformation. His ics. Beyond studying the group studies the mechanisms that drive and resist plate tecton- mechanics of eddies, ics over long timescales, as well as the microstructural response jets, and nonlinear flows of rocks as they are loaded under a broad range of pressures in the ocean depths, his and temperatures. Measuring the grain size of rocks and strain dynamical models also localization in the context of faults allows them to understand seek to understand how how rapid strain transients can cause earthquakes. these phenomena affect marine ecosystems—from Our fundamental inquiries into the construction of the solid Earth their roles in nutrient also have implications for practical applications, allowing us to cycling and the co-evolu- both benefit from and protect our planet. EAPS is home to MIT’s tion of oceanic predators Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL) where geophysical research and prey, to gauging the is driven by technological questions in the areas of energy and environmental impacts of the environment. In addition to working on natural resource A GLOBAL SCIENCE AND seafloor mining. Expand- extraction, researchers in ERL are pushing advances in geothermal ing his scope, Flierl applies engineering and carbon sequestration, as well as one of society’s these complex computations to the turbulent heights of our biggest challenges: finding and managing clean drinking water POLICY SUCCESS STORY atmosphere and even vortices in outer space, like Saturn’s polar supplies in the face of climate change. Professor of Geophysics cyclones and the protoplanetary solar nebula. His iGlobe/MIT and Associate Director of ERL Dale Morgan’s work in St. Lucia is Susan Solomon, the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies, was and EsGlobe (Environmental Science Globe) projects pull a lot just one example of geophysical research making a direct impact honored for her contributions to atmospheric science with the 2018 Crafoord Prize. of these pictures together, literally. Along with collaborators, he on communities. In the 1980s, he began working with the local developed software which can display animated models of ocean, weather, and climate systems, and IN MAY OF 2018, SUSAN SOLOMON, the Lee and Geraldine by measurements conducted in the can depict how aerosols, pollutants, and biota are Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at MIT, traveled to stratosphere. Later, Solomon showed transported around the Earth in a three-dimension- Stockholm to accept the 2018 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences how the thickness of the ozone layer al format on a large, spherical, digital video screen. from H. M. King Carl Gustav XVI and H. M. Queen Silvia of in the southern hemisphere affects Sweden. Solomon, along with fellow legendary climate scien- atmospheric flows and temperatures For geophysicist Dan Rothman, numerical and tist Syukuro Manabe of Princeton University, was awarded the all the way down to ground level. analytical models are a lens to view the organiza- Crafoord Prize for “fundamental contributions to understanding tion of the natural world from many angles—from the role of atmospheric trace gases in Earth’s climate system.” Established in 1980, the Crafoord Prize topics in seismology and fluid flow to biogeochem- While in Stockholm, Solomon delivered her laureate lecture: is awarded in partnership between the istry and geobiology. Rothman and his group work “Meeting The Challenges of the Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Global Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the to reconcile mathematical and physical theory with Science and Policy Success Story.” Crafoord Foundation in Lund. The prize sum of six observations, in order to reveal the fundamental million Swedish krona (approximately $680,000) is one of the mechanisms of Earth’s dynamic systems, like the Solomon is internationally recognized as a leader in atmospheric world’s largest scientific prizes. Designed as a complement to interplay of the carbon cycle and climate, the science, particularly for her insights in explaining the cause of the Nobel Prizes, there are four disciplines: mathematics and relationship between environmental change and the Antarctic ozone “hole”. For more than 30 years, her studies astronomy, geosciences, biosciences (with an emphasis on the evolution (and extinctions) of multicellular life, have been at the forefront of research into the ozone layer ecology), and polyarthritis. The prizes are awarded by discipline and the physical foundation and mathematical and its role in the Earth’s climate system, with the chemical on a rotating annual basis, with the exception of polyarthritis, expression of natural geometric forms. (Read more reactions she proposed for ozone depletion now one of the which is awarded only when scientific progress in the field has about Rothman’s research on page 12) cornerstones of stratospheric chemical modeling. been such that an award is justified.

BENEATH OUR FEET In the 1980s Solomon solved the puzzle of the Antarctic ozone Former EAPS professor Edward N. Lorenz (together with Henry Of course, our questions probe far deeper than hole’s appearance, using theoretical and chemical measurement- Stommel) received the first Crafoord Prize in Geosciences in what we can observe here on the surface of our focused studies in the Antarctic atmosphere. She examined 1983. Peter Molnar, also a former EAPS professor of geoscience, vast planet. Geologists and geophysicists in EAPS the ice crystals in the stratospheric clouds that form there was awarded the prize in 2014. work on problems spanning great scales of space and time—from government to evaluate sources of geothermal energy, and over every year due to the extreme cold. These ice crystals cause microscale structures of minerals to the composition of the Earth’s the years turned his subsurface exploration to help the drought- the initiation of chemical processes that differ from those Read more about the research: http://bit.ly/solomon-crafoord core over 6,000 km below us, and earthquakes, which strike in a prone island find new sources of fresh water. The sources identi- that were previously assumed to occur. On this basis, Solomon split second, to the formation of our planet 4.6 billion years ago. fied by Morgan’s research are currently responsible for supplying presented a theory that explained the link between man-made Susan Solomon and Syukuro Manabe each receive the Crafoord over 35,000 homes—and will meet almost 60% of the country’s chlorofluorocarbon emissions and the chemical processes Prize in Geosciences on May 24, 2018 from H.M. King Carl XVI EAPS researchers sweat the small things—appreciating that water needs in the next five years. (Read more about ERL and taking place in the Antarctic stratosphere that led to the Gustaf at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm. interactions and behaviors at the material level have the abil- historical geophysical research at MIT on page 24) ª extensive depletion of its ozone layer. Her theory was verified Photo credits: Markus Marcetic, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

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LAST FALL, RICHARD BINZEL, professor of the spectral characterization of asteroids posing AWARDS AND HONORS planetary sciences in the Department of Earth, a potential hazard to Earth as well as those that Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) and may be most easily reachable by future robotic Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow, was awarded and human missions—such as OSIRIS-REx. As a Department of Earth, The 2019 Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization was awarded to Assistant Professor the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for excep- co-investigator, he leads the mission’s asteroid Atmospheric and Planetary ANDREW BABBIN. In addition, he earned an Ally of Nature Fund award—an MIT fund endowed tional contributions to the astronomical charac- spectroscopy and the development of the student- by Audrey Buyrn and Alan Phillips to support exploratory projects to prevent, repair, and terization of the target asteroid Bennu of NASA’s built instrument, the Regolith X-ray Imaging Sciences faculty continue to ameliorate environmental damage. OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. Spectrograph (REXIS). It took five years and a great earn numerous awards and Assistant Professor TIMOTHY CRONIN was appointed the Kerr-McGee Career Development Chair. deal of ingenuity from Binzel and his ever- honors in recognition of their Cronin also joined Babbin on the list of awardees from the MIT Ally of Nature Fund for NASA’s Honor Awards are presented to govern- changing roster of 60 students from MIT and environmental research. innovation and leadership in ment and non-government individuals or teams Harvard to overcome technical setbacks and per- by NASA center directors for a stellar achieve- fect their device in time for launch in 2016. And their respective fields. Associate Professor DANIEL CZICZO, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was awarded tenure in July 2018. Read more on page 27. ment that supports one or more of NASA’s core now, on December 3rd, the SUV-sized spacecraft values. The NASA Silver Achievement Medal is carrying their instrument will enter its final orbit Known as one of the world’s leading scientists Newly-appointed Assistant Professor JULIEN DE WIT accepted the Group Achievement Award NASA’s second highest award that can be be- around Bennu. It will spend over a year mapping in the study of asteroids and Pluto, Binzel has from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on behalf of the team of researchers who discovered stowed on a civilian (non-government) scientist. the asteroid before scientists pick a site for a been an EAPS faculty member for nearly 30 seven exoplanets in the habitable zone of the ultra-cool red dwarf TRAPPIST-1. sample to return to Earth—with REXIS playing a years and holds a joint appointment in the As the inventor of the Torino Scale, a method Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Atmospheric Science KERRY EMANUEL was selected to the key role in helping to find that spot by analyzing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 2018 class of AGU Fellows. Additionally, he was awarded the 2018 Friend of the Planet award for categorizing the impact hazard associated the interaction of the Sun’s X-rays with the soil, In 1994, Binzel was named an MIT Margaret by the National Center for Science Education. with near-Earth objects such as asteroids and or regolith, to identify chemical elements on MacVicar Faculty Fellow in recognition of his comets, his ongoing telescopic research includes Bennu’s surface. dedication to teaching. DARA ENTEKHABI, MIT’s Bacardi and Stockholm Water Foundations Professor, was awarded the 2018 David and Lucille Atlas Remote Sensing Prize from the American Meteorological Society for: “scientific and technical leadership in providing remote sensing data and in their use to address basic questions in hydrological science.” ROYDEN, SEAGER ELECTED TO ACADEMY Robert R. Shrock Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences TIMOTHY GROVE was recognized with the 2018 Harry H. Hess Medal by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). A past president IN 2018, EIGHT MIT PROFESSORS were Geophysical Union and has received numerous of the AGU himself (2008-10), Grove is only the second member of the MIT faculty to earn the elected to the American Academy of Arts and awards, including the Donath Medal of the Hess Medal; Maria Zuber, E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and Vice President for Research at MIT, was awarded the prize in 2012. Sciences, including Leigh (“Wiki”) Royden and Geological Society of America, and the Mueller Sara Seager of the Department of Earth, Atmo- Medal of the European Union of Geosciences. Professor of Physical Oceanography PAOLA MALANOTTE-RIZZOLI was chosen to give the spheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). Currently serving as the director of MIT’s Experi- Rachel Carson Lecture at the Fall 2017 Meeting of the American Geophysical Union. mental Study Group, she has been on the faculty One of the nation’s most prestigious honor soci- at MIT since 1984. The office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming at MIT awarded Associate Professor of Paleoclimatology DAVID MCGEE the Excellence in Mentoring Award in recognition eties, the academy is also a leading center for in- of his commitment to the development of first year students. McGee has served as Director of dependent policy research. Members contribute With secondary appointments in the Depart- Terrascope, an MIT First-Year Learning Community, since 2016. Read more on page 28. to academy publications, as well as studies of ments of Physics and Aero-Astro, Class of 1941 science and technology policy, energy and global Professor of Planetary Sciences Sara Seager has The School of Science honored Associate Professor PAUL O’GORMAN with one of two prizes security, social policy and American institutions, pioneered many research areas of character- for excellence in graduate education. Nominators noted that his class was well-organized with the humanities and culture, and education. izing exoplanets with concepts and methods clear expectations set, and they also lauded his humorous, engaging, and passionate teaching Leigh Royden style. O’Gorman is only the second EAPS winner of an annual School of Science Teaching Prize that now help form the foundation of the field. after former professor Marcia McNutt was recognized in 1996. “Membership in the academy is not only an Her present work focuses on the search for life honor, but also an opportunity and a responsi- by way of identifying exoplanet atmospheric Professor of Geophysics, Co-Director of the Lorenz Center DANIEL ROTHMAN’s paper bility,” noted Jonathan Fanton, president of the “biosignature” gases. Her research also includes Thresholds of Catastrophe in the Earth System was a pick for the American Mathematical Society’s American Academy. “Members can be inspired new space instrumentation and mission designs, 2017 Top Math Stories in the Media, Phys.org’s Top Phys.org articles of 2017, and Blue Ocean and engaged by connecting with one another including the ASTERIA (Arcsecond Telescope Network’s Top Ocean Stories of 2017. and through academy projects dedicated to the Enabling Research in Astrophysics) CubeSat— Associate Professor NOELLE SELIN, recently named director of the MIT Technology and Policy common good. The intellect, creativity, and com- named 2018 Mission of the Year by the SmallSat Program (TPP), has been awarded a Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship at the Technical University mitment of the 2018 class will enrich the work Conference for demonstrating that miniature of Munich Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS). Over fellowship’s three year term, Selin of the academy and the world in which we live.” satellites can perform high precision photome- will work with TUM-IAS faculty and students on research at the intersection of environmental try—and as co-investigator on the MIT-led NASA science and policymaking. Read more on page 10. Wiki Royden, a professor of geology and geo- TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies and 2018 Crafoord Prize awardee physics, works on both regional and continental mission—which launched in 2017 and in the SUSAN SOLOMON was chosen to receive the Royal Society’s 2018 Bakerian Medal and give mechanics, contributing to the study of geologic summer of 2018 sent back its first images as it the Bakerian Lecture. She also received an honorary doctorate from Rockefeller University, processes through quantitative geophysical began its all-sky survey to hunt for exoplanets Sara Seager as well as an AGU 2017 Editors Citation for Excellence in Refereeing. Read more on pages 7 and 29. modeling. She is a fellow of the American around 200,000 of the brightest nearby stars.

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physics—including constraining the mechanisms high pressure, high temperature experimental DIRECTOR OF MIT TPP of seafloor spreading and the formation of petrology. On Earth, his research focuses on flat-topped seamounts (guyots), and originating mantle melting and subsequent crustal-level NOELLE ECKLEY SELIN, associate professor and hazardous substances—a major focus being scientific ocean drilling by the Mohole Project. magma differentiation at both mid-ocean ridges with a joint appointment in the MIT Institute mercury pollution, where she has engaged with Hess served multiple terms as an AGU section and subduction zones. For mid-ocean ridges, for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) and the both domestic and international policymakers. president for Geodesy (1950–53) and Tectono- he looks at the influence of mantle convection Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary In addition to her work modeling the transport physics (1956–59). Grove is only the second and lithospheric cooling on melt generation Sciences (EAPS), is the new director for the and fate of pollutants, she has published articles member of the MIT faculty to earn the Hess and modification, while in subduction zone Technology and Policy Program (TPP) at MIT. and book chapters on the interactions between EAPS CONGRATULATES Robert R. Shrock Pro- Medal; Maria Zuber, E. A. Griswold Professor of environments he seeks to understand the role science and policy in international environmental fessor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Timothy Geophysics and Vice President for Research at of water on melting and differentiation processes. TPP is a two-year, interdisciplinary master of negotiations, in particular focusing on global Grove who was recognized with the 2018 Harry MIT, was awarded the prize in 2012. On the Moon, his work focuses on understanding science program that combines science and efforts to regulate hazardous substances. tions to the core TPP course “Science, Technology, H. Hess Medal by the American Geophysical the chemical differentiation of the early lunar engineering with social sciences, to educate and Public Policy.” She also received TPP’s Faculty Union (AGU), awarded annually for “outstanding A past president of AGU himself (2008-10), magma ocean and the subsequent remelting of students whose research addresses important “Noelle is an excellent educator and teacher, and Appreciation Award in 2013. achievements in research on the constitution Grove is interested in the processes that have its cumulates to create lunar mare basalts. technological issues confronting society. Over has substantially contributed to the curriculum and evolution of the Earth and other planets.” led to the chemical evolution of the Earth and more than 40 years, TPP’s more than 1,200 in IDSS and TPP,” said IDSS Director Munther Selin came to MIT in 2007 as a postdoctoral other planets, and meteorite parent bodies. Grove has been a member of the faculty since alumni have gone on to work in industry and Dahleh, a professor in IDSS and MIT’s Department researcher at the Center for Global Change Established in 1984, the medal is named in His approach to understanding planetary 1979 and served as EAPS associate department government as well as academia. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Science, later joining the Engineering Systems honor of Harry H. Hess, who made many seminal differentiation is to combine field, petrologic, head from 2010-18. While serving as associate director of TPP, Selin Division as an assistant professor in 2010 with a contributions to geology, mineralogy, and geo- and geochemical studies of igneous rocks with Selin’s own research links science and policy, managed the admission process and led curricu- joint appointment in EAPS. She joined IDSS as particularly on the topic of atmospheric pollut- lar development efforts. In 2018, she shared the a core faculty member when it was launched in ants. Her interdisciplinary research aims to inform Joseph A. Martore ’75 Award for Exceptional Con- 2015 and was promoted to associate professor PERRON NAMED ASSOC. decisionmaking on air pollution, climate change, tributions to Education in IDSS for her contribu- with tenure in July 2017. DEPARTMENT HEAD BERGMANN AWARDED

TAYLOR PERRON, associate professor of geol- planets, Perron has invested heavily in the EAPS ogy, has been appointed associate department and MIT communities. He advises first-year stu- PACKARD FELLOWSHIP head for MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric dents and works with MIT’s Experimental Study and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). He succeeds Tim Group; has chaired the EAPS Program in Geology, a lab and a field program is a major challenge, in the field or in the lab, but combining and Grove, the Robert R. Shrock Professor of Earth Geochemistry and Geobiology; and served on the and the Packard Fellowship will help her pursue balancing these allows my students to approach and Planetary Sciences. MIT Faculty Committees on Student Life and on her exciting and ambitious studies of geological a problem from two sides.” By understanding the the Communication Requirement. more uniform general exam structure and spear- processes in Earth’s deep time.” rocks within their environmental context, Berg- Building upon Grove’s accomplishments, Perron will headed several initiatives to enhance academic mann can focus her research. “Where the sample work with the EAPS academic program administrator Perron assumes the reins from Tim Grove, who opportunities for graduate and undergraduate Bergmann is a geobiologist who reconstructs comes from and its context is as important to and department head to oversee the department’s has made major contributions to elevate and students. He also devoted a great deal of time to Earth’s ancient climate and surface environ- me as the laboratory measurements we make at educational program—ensuring the development strengthen the quality of the EAPS education the improvement of the departmental facilities, a ments. She uses methods spanning field mea- MIT and elsewhere. The Packard Fellowship will and quality of the curriculum, fieldwork program, mission. “Tim brought remarkable experience to crucial effort he will continue after the transition. KRISTIN BERGMANN, the Victor P. Starr surements, isotope geochemistry and microanal- support this multidimensional approach.” teaching, general exam process, and admissions. the position, including education service at the Career Development Assistant Professor in MIT’s ysis to study rocks deposited in ancient oceans Institute level, national leadership as president of “Tim was well liked by all students and will be a Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Plane- before and during the evolution of early animals. Bergmann feels grateful and inspired by the “We are living in an era of exploration and dis- the American Geophysical Union and as a member tough act to follow,” said EAPS Head of Depart- tary Sciences (EAPS), has been awarded a 2018 award: “Geobiology is an interdisciplinary field covery—from Earth’s history and the tree of life to of the National Academy of Sciences, and of course ment and Schlumberger Professor of Earth and Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering. “It is a great honor to have our work recognized requiring a variety of approaches, and I’m very beyond the outer reaches of the solar system— through his own extensive teaching contributions Planetary Sciences Rob van der Hilst, conveying his As one of 18 fellowships granted to early-career and supported by the David and Lucile Packard lucky to have the chance to interact with and and our society depends in so many ways on the in the classroom and in the field,” said Perron, who appreciation for Grove’s efforts and looking forward scientists, the award includes a research grant Foundation,” Bergmann said. learn from diverse, passionate scientists here fields we study in EAPS, from climate and natural has learned a great deal from his predecessor. to building upon them in the future. “I am deeply of $875,000, encouraging fellows to take risks at MIT and, before that, at Carleton College, disasters to energy and policy,” Perron said. “I want As member and chair of MIT’s Committee on the grateful for Tim’s dedication, contributions, and and explore new frontiers in their field. During her fellowship, Bergmann will study Caltech, and Harvard. I look forward to meeting to help as many MIT undergraduates as possible Undergraduate Program, Grove stayed connected accomplishments, and I very much look forward to ancient climate dynamics and dramatic environ- and interacting with other Packard Fellows from to experience that excitement, consider that to the educational mission of the Institute. One working with Taylor to maintain a world-class edu- “We are all extremely proud and happy that mental changes that accompany the emergence across the country.” relevance, and understand the associated career particularly notable achievement was building cational program that not only continues to attract Kristin has received this well-deserved honor,” and dominance of multicellular, complex life on options. I also want to continue our efforts to an MIT-wide consensus that every MIT first-year the best students but also shares what EAPS has to said Robert van der Hilst, the Schlumberger earth. “I am fortunate at MIT to be able to pur- The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a enhance our world-leading graduate program.” student should have a faculty advisor. Within EAPS, offer with the world beyond our own classrooms.” Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, EAPS sue a research agenda that includes both field private family foundation created by David Packard, he led a major effort to collect data and feedback Department Head, and a former Packard Fellow. observations and laboratory-based geochemical co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company. In addition to his teaching and research on how from past graduates and reorganized the under- Read more about Perron’s interdisciplinary “Kristin is a wonderful colleague, deeply en- techniques,” said Bergmann. “Often a researcher landscapes form and evolve on Earth and other graduate curriculum. Additionally, Grove created a research in our cover story on page 4. gaged with our academic community. Running feels pulled between whether to spend months Read more about Bergmann’s research on page 16.

10 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 11 ABRIDGED FROM ORIGINAL STORIES BY JENNIFER CHU, MIT NEWS | LIZA LESTER, AGU RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT

Rivers may seem like permanent features of a landscape, often used as natural boundaries, but recent work from Geophysical Research Letters—research which in the geologic record but don’t frequently get of the split for the Amazon Basin. When the researchers in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) shows them to be dynamic, also suggests this may not be the first time the to actually observe.” diversion is complete, the Amazon will have sto- varying under different climatic conditions and even invading basin territory of neighbors. world’s largest river has expanded its territory len an area about twice as big as Lake Ontario, by pirating from a neighbor. Stokes and her EAPS colleagues, graduate stu- diminishing the river’s volume significantly. dent Samuel Goldberg and Associate Professor RIVER BASIN FORMATION mon angle of 72 degrees. In drier regions how- water often saturated the soil, creating large The 2,140-kilometer long Rio Orinoco–fourth of Geology Taylor Perron, are interested in how The process of river capture may be slower in AND A CLIMATE CONNECTION ever, rivers split at angles around 45 degrees. water tables close to the surface, and causing largest river in the world—rises on the western river systems become continent-spanning behe- lowlands, like the region where the Casiquiare There are more than one million river basins more groundwater to seep out around river slopes of the Sierra Parima, a mountain range moths like the Amazon. splits from the Orinoco, because the low grade carved into the topography of the United States. “Previous work has helped explain the angles at basins than in drier climates. This suggests that on Venezuela’s southeastern border with Brazil allows sediments to settle and counter losses to They vary in shape, which, as MIT scientists report which rivers join together to form these struc- groundwater plays a bigger role in carving out dividing the watersheds of the Amazon and the Connections between river basins are typical- erosion, the study suggests. in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A, is heavily tures,” Yi says. “But each river is also intimately humid basins than in dry-climate river basins. Orinoco. It drains 880,000 square kilometers of ly ephemeral ones during seasonal flooding. influenced by the climate in which they form. In connected to a basin, so we suspected that the Venezuela and Columbia. The Rio Casiquiare Stable connections are rarely observed because “Having bifurcations that are stable like this general, river basins are shaped by rainfall, which shapes of basins could contain some similar This effect may be especially pronounced at breaks away from the Rio Orinoco in the remote one watercourse usually captures all the water really requires sediment deposition,” Stokes says, erodes the land as it drains down into a river or geometric curiosities.” smaller scales over several kilometers. Meaning lowlands below the mountains, diverting about for itself, Stokes says, sometimes within days. and the bigger a river grows, the more power stream, but the difference, they found, boils down that, over a vast area, even in humid environ- a quarter of the Orinoco’s flow south to the Rio But this connection between the Orinoco and it has to wrest further diversions of water from to the local availability of groundwater—which, Accessing the shape and aridity of rivers and ments, the interaction between groundwater Negro, a major tributary of the Amazon, which Amazon rivers has existed for centuries. The neighbors, “It’s a pretty major implication for the when it seeps back out, can shift its form further. basins in the contiguous United States, they and the large-scale structure of river networks is drains 6.9 million square kilometers. authors believe that, through seasonal flooding Rio Orinoco.” found an interesting trend: river basins in dry relatively weak. and erosion, the Casiquiare eventually became a “This is the first time in which the shape of regions of the country take on a long and thin The Casiquiare link between the Orinoco perennial channel. This research was supported in part by the US De- river networks has been related to climate,” contour, regardless of their size. In more humid “Our paper establishes a new, large-scale connec- and the Amazon is the only such distributary partment of Energy Office of Science, Office of Basic says Daniel Rothman, professor of geophysics environments, river basins vary: larger basins, tion between hydrogeology and geomorphology,” connection between two major river basins in To understand how the Amazon is seizing water, Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences in EAPS and co-director of MIT’s Lorenz Center. on the scale of hundreds of kilometers, are long Rothman says. “All this turns out to be connected the world—and the ability to observe its Stokes and her colleagues analyzed measure- and Biosciences Division. “Work like this may help scientists infer the and thin, while smaller basins, spanning a few with fractal geometry. Thus, in some sense we are behavior in real time could help researchers ments of water velocity and channel dimensions kind of climate that was present when river kilometers, are noticeably short and squat. finding a surprising connection between climate understand how river systems evolve and how and found that the Casiquiare is eroding faster Read the original research stories: networks were initially incised.” and the fractal geometry of river networks.” the Amazon Basin grew to dominate the South than the Orinoco, deepening its channel, while http://bit.ly/climate-rivers They suspected that the dichotomy stemmed American continent. the Orinoco’s flow is slowing due to build-up of http://bit.ly/river-capture Rothman’s co-authors are EAPS graduate student from their previous observations of branching A GROWING WATER POWER sediments in its streambed. The terrain on the Eric Stansifer and former EAPS members Robert Yi, rivers and reasoned that it may play a similar So what happens, then, when this relationship “The Orinoco and the Amazon are two of Casiquiare side of the divide, which leads to the Álvaro Arredondo, and Hansjörg Seybold. role in widening a river’s basin. between climate, terrain, and the fractal geom- the largest rivers in the world, and the fact Amazon, is more than twice as steep as the flat etry of river networks puts the basins of two of that there is this perennial water connection valley the Orinoco runs through below the split. In previous research, Rothman and his colleagues Looking generally at the geology and depth the world’s largest rivers on a collision course? between them has puzzled people for a very The braided landscape of the shallow, laconic identified a universal connection between to which groundwater might penetrate, they At present, the Amazon River is slowly steal- long time,” says Maya Stokes, an EAPS graduate Because of the steeper course and greater Rio Negro—the largest blackwater river in the groundwater and the way in which rivers branch: found in drier climates any resulting reservoir or ing a 40,000-square-kilometer drainage basin student and lead author of the study. “A river capacity for moving sediment, the new study world—accounts for moving 14% of the water in regions where erosion is caused mainly by water table from rainwater would be too deep from the upper Orinoco River, according to new capture in action is a rare and unique chance to concluded that eventually the Casiquiare will in the humid, rainy Amazon basin. groundwater seepage, rivers branch at a com- to come back up. In more humid environments, research in the American Geophysical Union’s observe this process that we have evidence for capture the flow of the Rio Orinoco upstream Photo credit: Google Earth

12 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 13 BY JENNIFER CHU | MIT NEWS

DIAMONDS IN THE DEEP

Researchers dug into decades of seismic readings to try to understand an anomaly in the data—and in the process discovered that 1 to 2 percent of Earth’s oldest mantle rocks are likely made of diamond.

THERE MAY BE more than a quadrillion tons of Faul’s co-authors include scientists from the and rock composition to estimate the types of types of minerals in the laboratory, used this on the surface. This is how they preserve the This diamond xenocryst in kimberlite was forged diamond hidden in the Earth’s interior, according University of California at Santa Barbara, the rocks that make up the Earth’s crust and parts of knowledge to assemble virtual rocks, made oldest rocks. So we found that you just need 1 deep in the Earth’s mantle at temperatures of to a new study from MIT and other universities. Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, the Uni- the upper mantle, also known as the lithosphere. from various combinations of minerals. Then the to 2 percent diamond for cratons to be stable more than 2,000 degrees before being violently But the new results are unlikely to set off a dia- versity of California at Berkeley, Ecole Polytech- team calculated how fast sound waves would and not sink.” ejected to the surface by a volcanic eruption. mond rush. The scientists estimate the precious nique, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, However, in using seismic data to map the travel through each virtual rock, and found only Originating over 100 miles below, the rapid flow minerals are buried more than 100 miles below Harvard University, the University of Science and Earth’s interior, scientists have been unable to one type of rock that produced the same veloc- In a way, Faul says cratonic roots made partly of of magma tore it and other perioditic xenoliths the surface, far deeper than any drilling expedi- Technology of China, the University of Bayreuth, explain a curious anomaly: sound waves tend to ities as what the seismologists measured: one diamond makes sense. Diamonds are forged in from the mantle and pushed them to the Earth’s tion has ever reached. the University of Melbourne, and University speed up significantly when passing through the that contains 1 to 2 percent diamond, in addition the high-pressure, high-temperature environ- College London. roots of ancient cratons. Cratons are known to to peridotite (the predominant rock type of the ment of the deep Earth and only make it close crust—giving us a window into the conditions The ultradeep cache may be scattered within be colder and less dense than the surrounding Earth’s upper mantle) and minor amounts of to the surface through volcanic eruptions that and composition of the interior of our planet. cratonic roots—the oldest and most immovable A SOUND GLITCH mantle, which would in turn yield slightly faster eclogite (representing subducted oceanic crust). occur every few tens of millions of years. These sections of rock that lie beneath the center of most Faul and his colleagues came to their conclusion sound waves, but not quite as fast as what has This scenario represents at least 1,000 times eruptions carve out geologic “pipes” made of Photo credit: Eric Nathan / Alamy Stock Photo continental tectonic plates. Shaped like inverted after puzzling over an anomaly in seismic data. been measured. more diamond than previously expected. a type of rock called kimberlite (named after mountains, cratons can stretch as deep as 200 For the past few decades, agencies such as the the town of Kimberley, South Africa, where the miles through the Earth’s crust into its mantle, United States Geological Survey have kept global “The velocities that are measured are faster “Diamond in many ways is special,” Faul says. first diamonds in this type of rock were found). with their deepest sections referred to as “roots.” records of seismic activity—essentially, sound than what we think we can reproduce with rea- “One of its special properties is the sound veloci- Diamond, along with magma from deep in the waves traveling through the Earth that are trig- sonable assumptions about what is there,” Faul ty in diamond is more than twice as fast as in the Earth, can spew out through kimberlite pipes, In the new study, scientists estimate that cratonic gered by earthquakes, tsunamis, explosions, and says. “Then we have to say, ‘There is a problem.’ dominant mineral in upper mantle rocks, olivine.” onto the surface of the Earth. roots may contain 1 to 2 percent diamond. Con- other ground-shaking sources. Seismic receivers That’s how this project started.” sidering the total volume of cratonic roots in the around the world pick up sound waves from The researchers found that a rock composition For the most part, kimberlite pipes have been Earth, the team figures that about a quadrillion such sources, at various speeds and intensities, DIAMONDS IN THE DEEP of 1 to 2 percent diamond would be just enough found at the edges of cratonic roots, such as in (1016) tons of diamond are scattered within these which seismologists can use to determine where, The team aimed to identify the composition of to produce the higher sound velocities that the certain parts of Canada, Siberia, Australia, and ancient rocks, 90 to 150 miles below the surface. for example, an earthquake originated. cratonic roots that might explain the spikes in seismologists measured. This small fraction of South Africa. It would make sense, then, that seismic speeds. To do this, seismologists on the diamond would also not change the overall cratonic roots should contain some diamond in “This shows that diamond is not perhaps this Scientists can also use this seismic data to team first used seismic data from the USGS and density of a craton, which is naturally less dense their makeup. exotic mineral, but on the [geological] scale of construct an image of what the Earth’s interior other sources to generate a three-dimensional than the surrounding mantle. things, it’s relatively common,” says Ulrich Faul, a might look like. Sound waves move at various model of the velocities of seismic waves travel- “It’s circumstantial evidence, but we’ve pieced This research was supported, in part, by the research scientist in MIT’s Department of Earth, speeds through the Earth, depending on the ing through the Earth’s major cratons. “They are like pieces of wood, floating on wa- it all together,” Faul says. “We went through all National Science Foundation. Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. “We can’t temperature, density, and composition of the ter,” Faul says. “Cratons are a tiny bit less dense the different possibilities, from every angle, get at them, but still, there is much more dia- rocks through which they travel. Scientists have Next, Faul and others, who in the past have than their surroundings, so they don’t get and this is the only one that’s left as a reason- Read more about the research: mond there than we have ever thought before.” used this relationship between seismic velocity measured sound speeds through many different subducted back into the Earth but stay floating able explanation.” http://bit.ly/mantle-diamonds

14 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 15 BY KRISTIN BERGMANN | VICTOR P. STARR CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY SNOWBALLS, FOSSILS AND BEARS

Back in August 2017, I traveled to Svalbard, Norway with Marjorie Cantine (3rd year graduate student and our drone pilot), Adam Jost (postdoc), Tyler Mackey (postdoc), and Julia Wilcots (1st year graduate student). It was my third field season there and the first trip with only Bergmann Lab Group members.

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SVALBARD? sedimentary record, and we are very interested ment of their formation. This makes them a I get asked that question a lot. The terrain is to understand how Neoproterozoic (1,000-541 great archive of the past world: they can tell rugged. The working conditions are harsh. In million years ago) sedimentary rocks reflect us whether it was calm, wavy, or stormy; how the three summers I’ve done field work up these two drivers. much oxygen was at the sediment-water inter- there, I’ve seen snow, cold winds, fog and big face and in the shallow sediments; and what waves. On four occasions, I’ve encountered We use a variety of tools to answer these sorts of creatures were living there. Having polar bears while out working; the members research questions and others, including such an extended record of marine carbonates of my lab group and I have had to train to use fieldwork, drone technology, clumped isotope through one of the most tumultuous time in- firearms and flares to prepare for these chance thermometry, petrography, and microanalytical tervals in Earth’s history provides a rich history encounters with these potentially dangerous techniques. We are working at the Stanford to reconstruct. animals. Just getting to our field sites in Sval- Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) as bard requires expensive helicopter flights or well as collaborating with Roger Summons WHAT DO DRONES CONTRIBUTE TO OUR boat charters. Despite everything, and perhaps here at MIT and researchers at Dartmouth, GEOLOGICAL TOOL KIT? in part because of it, I love doing research in Oxford, and Yale. Drone technology is something I’ve been excit- Svalbard. The landscape is spectacular and I ed to add to our toolkit these last few years. In feel lucky to have had such extended oppor- WHAT WAS SVALBARD LIKE AT THE TIME WE partnership with MIT Libraries, I first explored tunities to work in this incredible yet rapidly ARE INTERESTED IN? its utility in a class I taught in Death Valley and changing arctic environment. The rocks we study in Svalbard span a long we decided to use it in Svalbard after our ini- time period (~1 billion years to ~460 million tial success. It allows us to ask new questions My lab group is working in Svalbard because years ago in the Ordovician Period). They cap- about the spatial relationships of the different of the amazing scientific potential of its rocks. ture many different environments and climates rock units in a way that is impossible to do as Svalbard is one of the only places in the world through that time period: everything from an earthbound observer. that records the time before, during, in-between, extreme cold periods and global glaciations to and after two global glaciations all in the same warm periods and deglaciations. Svalbard was It is so challenging to do work in Svalbard that location. In Svalbard, the global glaciations, so near the equator for much of this time, but that it becomes very important to collect as much called “Snowball Earth” events, are bracketed didn’t save it from being glaciated during these data as possible while we are there. We can’t by an exceptional fossil record of microscopic global Snowball Earth events. know when or if we will be back to a certain organisms. The Svalbard stratigraphy also pre- location. Drones allow us to capture the way serves multiple large negative carbon isotope Many of the rocks preserve evidence of mi- the rocks sit within the surrounding strata and excursions in the carbonates, features of the crobial communities in the form of fossilized their landscape and bring that back with us. Neoproterozoic record that remain a puzzle. structures called ‘stromatolites,’ as well as Before drones, I used a combination of photo- diverse complex eukaryotic microfossils. In the graphs and drawings to do this. Drones have WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE SEEK TO ANSWER? youngest stratigraphy we are looking at (from added a new, quantitative, large-scale approach Combining traditional field observations At the largest scale, we are interested in un- the Cambrian and Ordovician—approximately to our fieldwork. We are also incorporating with GPS data and the birds-eye derstanding the relationship between Earth’s 541­­–443 million years ago) the environments drone and video footage we filmed in Svalbard vantage point of drone imaging, the climate and the evolution and diversification hosted large complex marine animals includ- into an MITx course that will launch in the Bergmann Lab is able to maximize their of complex life. What was ancient climate like, ing distinctive trilobites and graptolites. Spring of 2019 to provide an opportunity for time on the ground in the harsh arctic and how variable was it when eukaryotes (the students to experience these rocks when they environment. Back at MIT, they use the group of organisms including plants, fungi, and WHAT SORT OF ROCKS DO WE STUDY? may not otherwise have the opportunity to information gathered to create detailed animals) diversified and animals originated? We study carbonate sedimentary rocks, such as visit such a remote place. limestone, that formed in ancient oceans. These computerized maps of the landscape. Both climate change and events of evolution rocks precipitated from seawater and reflect Read more about the research: Images courtesy the Bergmann Lab; and extinction make significant changes to the the physical, biological, and chemical environ- http://bit.ly/svalbard-fieldwork drone photography by Marjorie Cantine

16 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 17 BY HELEN HILL | CBIOMES | EAPS NEWS Large-scale phytoplankton blooms, like this one in the nutrient-rich waters off the coast of Norway, can be seen from space. The vibrant swirls are caused by sunlight reflecting off of chlorophyll in the tiny marine organisms— with the brightest being the likely result of a coccolithophore species like Emiliania huxleyi, which form white calcium carbonate shells, BIG OCEANS. shown here magnified 1,000x, and under a scanning electron microscope.

Photo credits: AWI, planktonnet.awi.de; Alison R. Taylor, TINY MICROBES. UNC, PLoS Biology; Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS, NASA GSFC SEA BIOMES.

The Simons Foundation extends its support for microbial oceanography with the establishment of the Simons Foundation Collaboration on Ocean Computational Biogeochemical Modeling of Marine Ecosystems (CBIOMES), led by Mick Follows.

MICROBES SUSTAIN Earth’s habitats, including molecules, fueling food webs that support fisher- the collaboration aspires to do this is by also enthusiasm, the number of cross-connections and its largest biome: the global ocean. Microbes in ies and most other life in the ocean. Sinking and constructing trait-based models, bringing to collaborations already underway, and the rapid the sea capture solar energy, catalyze biogeo- subducted organic matter is remineralized and bear the power of metabolic constraints and progress that is happening on many fronts.” chemical transformations of important elements, respired in the dark, sub-surface ocean, maintain- knowledge of macro-molecular composition to produce and consume greenhouse gases, and ing a store of carbon about three times the size better understand the functions of regional and Complementary to CBIOMES is the Simons fuel the marine food web. Measuring and mod- of the atmospheric inventory of CO₂.” global microbial communities. Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology eling the distribution, composition, and function (SCOPE) co-led by Ed DeLong of MIT’s Depart- of microbial communities, and their interactions The communities of microbes that sustain “Together, these efforts will advance new theo- ment of Civil and Environmental Engineering with the environment are key to understanding these global-scale cycles are functionally and retical approaches and lead to improved global and David Karl of the University of Hawaii. these fundamental processes in the ocean. genetically extremely diverse and non-uniformly ocean-scale predictions and regional state SCOPE’s focus is advancing understanding of distributed—their biogeography is a function of estimates, constrained by observed biogeog- marine biology, biogeochemistry, ecology, and The Simons Foundation, which provides gener- selection according to traits governing interac- raphy. They will provide a quantification of the evolution of microbial processes by focusing on a ous funding for several lines of research within tions with local environments and organisms. associated biogeochemical fluxes,” says Follows. representative ocean benchmark, Station ALOHA, MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and located in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Planetary Sciences (EAPS), recently extended its But in the vast ocean, with an uncounted variety Working with Follows on CBIOMES are Principal support for microbial oceanography with the of marine environments, these microbial com- Investigators Stephanie Dutkiewicz of MIT; Jacob SCOPE-Gradients, a related project led by establishment of the Simons Foundation Collab- munities remain sparsely sampled, in both space Bien, Christopher Edwards, and Jed Fuhrman of Principal Investigator Virginia Armbrust of the oration on Ocean Computational Biogeochemi- and time. According to Follows, “Observations to the University of Southern California; Zoe Finkel University of Washington, will bring a rich stream cal Modeling of Marine Ecosystems (CBIOMES). constrain the biogeography of marine microbes and Andrew Irwin of Mount Allison University in of observational data to the CBIOMES effort, Led by EAPS Professor of Oceanography Mick are still sparse and based on eclectic sampling Canada; Shubha Sathyendranath of Plymouth with its focus on understanding transitions Follows, CBIOMES draws together a multidis- methods. Theories of the organization of the Marine Laboratory in the U.K.; and Joseph Vallino between the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and ciplinary group of both U.S. and international system have not been quantitatively tested, and of the Marine Biological Laboratory. neighboring ecosystems like the North Pacific investigators bridging oceanography, statistics, the models used to simulate the system still lack Subpolar Gyre—a region of open ocean notable data science, ecology, biogeochemistry, and sufficiently mechanistic biological foundations.” A meeting held at the Simons Foundation in New for exhibiting steep changes in environmental remote sensing. York City this past May provided a first opportu- conditions (gradients) associated with dramatic This is one of the challenges the project is de- nity for collaborators to meet face-to-face, and a changes in the microbial ecosystem. The goal of CBIOMES, which leverages and signed to address. CBIOMES will integrate new, forum for investigators to educate one another extends Follows’ existing Darwin Project, is to diverse data sets into the models in real-time as about their individual expertise, share initial The mission of the Simons Foundation is to develop and apply quantitative models of the they are collected at sea, helping investigators progress, and coordinate efforts. advance the frontiers of research in mathematics structure and function of marine microbial com- continually optimize their models and identify and the basic sciences. Co-founded in New York City munities at seasonal and basin scales. improved frameworks—and allowing them to “While the central question ‘What is the func- by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation exists directly test predictions and formally quantify tional biogeography of a group of organisms in to support basic—or discovery-driven—scientific As Follows explains, “Microbial communities in the skill of the numerical simulations. the oceans?’ is relatively focused, the techniques research undertaken in the pursuit of understand- the sea mediate the global cycles of elements being used are extremely varied focusing a lot on ing the phenomena of our world. including climatically-significant carbon, sulfur, Assimilating the incoming stream of expand- computational tools, but uniquely, hand-in-hand and nitrogen. Photosynthetic microbes in the ed observations will also help in testing a with data collection and data compilation,” says Read more about the research: surface ocean fix these elements into organic wider range of ecological theories. One way Follows. “I am particularly excited by everyone’s http://bit.ly/sea-biomes

18 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 19 Matys and her colleagues’ finding challenged the being able to study this really pressing and To explain the observations, Kipp turned to glob- research community’s perception about life in pertinent issue and all the ways that it’s going to al ocean circulation maps. “It started to come the cold. “The conventional thought was that all affect the ocean,” Kipp says. together, because I realized there is this strong of the organisms that live down there are best surface current [called the Transpolar Drift] that COLD WORLD suited for the cold, and it’s not necessarily the In the Arctic, shallow continental shelves cover carries water from the shelf seas north of Russia case. They’re just tolerant of the cold,” she says. more than half of the ocean; here, sediments across to the central Arctic, near the North Pole, accumulate and release compounds like radium where we measured it,” Kipp says. “The radium When they weren’t out in the field or in the lab, into the sea. Ice melt and turbulent waters help that we saw [in the ocean] was coming from that Matys and the other researchers spent time in to erode the coast and stir sediment up contain- shelf,” Kipp says, not the Chukchi shelf that the lectures about current and historical research ing the saltwater soluble radium. Healy crossed earlier in the trip. EXPLORERS topics on the base. To understand and investigate how radium-228 What could cause the doubling of radium THROUGHOUT THEIR JOURNEYS in MIT’s lives in the open ocean,” Matys says. Matys had For Matys, Antarctica was a place to learn how traveled from Arctic coasts to the waters of the levels over such a short period of time? Climate Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary traveled to Antarctica to learn how to study life to do fieldwork in variable and challenging con- North Pole, Kipp measured radium in water change. Kipp found that ice shelves in Russia 2018 EAPS doctoral graduates Sciences (EAPS), students and researchers alike on the continent as part of the National Science ditions—and a springboard for potential future samples along 69 stops as Healy broke through were experiencing rapid and strong warming Emily Matys and Lauren Kipp investigate the mysteries of the planet. Field- Foundation Antarctic Biology Training Program. research studying life on icy moons. ice-laden waters. “We filtered what we wanted due to rising air and sea temperatures. The re- traveled to opposite ends work, a critical component of geological study, out of the seawater at depth and then brought sultant loss of sea ice allowed winds and waves takes some researchers to the ends of the Earth, “People wonder if microbial communities [in On the other side of the globe, Lauren Kipp, those filters and cartridges back onto the deck,” to increase water turbulence on the shelf and of the Earth to unravel the and occasionally to some of the coldest, most Antarctica] are present because they’re select- an MIT-WHOI Joint Program graduate based in Kipps says. “Then we analyzed those cartridges coastal erosion in the region. These factors ulti- biological and geochemical remote environments known to humankind. ed for by the cold or just able to deal with the EAPS, spent nearly two months in 2015 aboard back in the lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic mately added more sediments, including radium, cold,” Matys says. To investigate this, Matys and the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaker Healy tracking Institution (WHOI).” By the end of her cruise, Kipp to the ocean. secrets of icy waters. Emily Matys PhD ’18 from the EAPS Summons her peers drilled or melted holes through thick sediment transport from continental shelves says she filtered an estimated 286,868 liters of Lab, spent part of the 2018 southern hemisphere layers of ice to access the waters and microbes into the Arctic Ocean. During this GEOTRACES seawater, looking for changes in water chemistry Kipp’s experience during the cruise ignited her summer at McMurdo Station, the United States of interest. Then, they’d characterize the water, BY FATIMA HUSAIN | EAPS NEWS research cruise—examining biogeochemical and land-sea interactions due to climate change. fascination with the Arctic due to the territory’s Antarctic research center located in McMurdo measuring components such as temperature and Story originally written for the EAPS Summons Lab cycles and large-scale distribution of trace ele- susceptibility to climate change. “I think that’s Sound. Matys works in geobiology and astrobi- conductivity, or collect samples to bring back to ments in the marine environment—Kipp and the Her Arctic research revealed the unexpected. a really great opportunity to increase public ology—fields that sometimes look for life in ex- the station’s lab and culture them. There, they team measured oceanic radium-228, a naturally “Radium has a [continental] shelf source, so we opinion about how climate change is currently treme and ancient environments. She specializes analyzed how Antarctic environmental condi- occurring radioactive element in sediment. Using expected it to be highest near the shelf. However, affecting Earth’s oceans,” Kipp says. in studying life in cold locations—from microbial tions support life. “We took them from a very it as a chemical tracer, she investigated whether we were really surprised to see such high levels mats at lake bottoms to the organisms that live cold environment and exposed them to warmer climate change via its effects on continental in the center of the ocean because that’s as far Read more about the research: in icy surface waters. temperatures or colder temperatures to see how shelves could alter the chemistry of ocean water. away as you can get from [the shelf],” Kipp says. http://bit.ly/antarctic-geobiology they behaved. We found that they were actually The radium being transported rapidly into the http://bit.ly/ arctic-radium “For the most part, we were interested in looking able to grow a little bit better when exposed to “It’s one of the regions of the world that’s being central Arctic was about twice that seen during a at what lives underneath the ice, and what warmer temperatures.” most affected by climate change, and so I like previous GEOTRACES cruise in the region in 2007.

Traveling by snowmobile, Emily Matys and her colleagues dragged sleds deep into the field laden with drills and equipment to melt holes in the thick Antarctic ice to obtain samples of the marine microbes living beneath. As evidence of the extreme environment, in the background is a red “apple”—a type of portable shelter common around polar research sites to protect researchers in the case of inclement weather.

Image courtesy Emily Matys

20 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 21 IN THE SPRING OF 1912, geologist Thomas A. Jaggar arrived at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Jaggar had just left his role as the head of MIT’s Geology Department—today, part of the FROM Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences—to take the helm of his dream project.

In 1909, MIT received funding for geophysical research to protect human lives and property. CAMBRIDGE Jaggar, who had been deeply affected by the devastation he witnessed while studying the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée in Martinique, urged MIT to use the money to build a perma- TO KILAUEA nent volcanic observatory. He favored con- struction in geologically active Hawaii, which offered a candidate volcano with constant, A brief history of MIT’s influence on the Hawaii Volcano moderate activity, frequent earthquakes, and consistent lava flow. Three years later, on the Observatory’s century-plus of research. rim of Kilauea’s crater, the newly-constructed Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) awaited Jaggar’s direction.

Early work at the HVO was diverse. Scientists monitored earthquakes and eruptions, recorded lava types and temperatures, sampled rocks and gases, and studied Kilauea’s shape and crater floor. In the observatory’s infancy, limited funding forced Jaggar to be creative, sometimes working without a salary, and once even raising pigs to help finance HVO research. His perse- verance paid off: in 1919, the U.S. government funded the HVO, with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assuming permanent direction over erupted nearly nonstop for over 30 years. “Prior damage means HVO staff have been unable to Kilauea research then and now: Thomas Jaggar the observatory in 1947. And, in 2012, the HVO to that, in the instrumental era, there were no return, and so are continuing to work in tempo- scoops up a sample of lava at the Halema’uma’u celebrated 100 years of continuous volcanic long-lived eruptions,” says Okubo. “So it’s not rary offices at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. crater within the summit caldera in 1917, while observation in Hawaii. only the activity, but the long history of activity, 101 years later, at the height of the eruption of that really makes HVO special.” Fortunately, exhaustive technical preparations 2018, a USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory field Today, the HVO continues to pursue cutting-edge allowed the team to leave Kilauea’s crater with- crew documents the behavior of lava as it exits research, powered by a team of specialists in This activity has caused a couple of relocations out losing the ability to continuously monitor the Fissure 8 cone. volcanology, seismology, geology, geophysical in- over the years. Jaggar chose the observatory’s the volcano, and unmanned aerial devices flew strumentation, and more. “We each try to ply the original site for its proximity to the lava lake daily missions over lava flows and scoured the Photo credits: USGS tools of our chosen specialization to try to see Halema’uma’u, however, “When the activity summit for new observations. what they tell us about the volcano behaviors,” changed throughout the twentieth century, the BY SARAH SCHWARTZ | EAPS NEWS says Paul Okubo PhD ’86 (XII). “[We] try to put facility was moved to the other side of the crater,” Despite the changes that come over a century on them together so we might be able to develop Okubo says. “It seemed as if we were closer to one of Earth’s most active volcanoes, Okubo says a coherent picture of what the volcano is doing, the center of the activity. And I guess that’s been the observatory’s core mission remains similar and what the volcano might do, as well.” borne out by events.” to what Thomas Jaggar envisioned from the start: “I’d like to think that we try to follow in the Active Kilauea has provided plentiful data By that, Okubo is referring to the events of 2018 original Jaggar vision of just really studying and for the researchers perched on its rim. During when Kilauea’s eruption rapidly intensified with understanding how volcanoes work, and trying to Jaggar’s tenure, ending with his retirement in strong earthquakes, explosions, and massive point that towards mitigating volcanic hazards.” 1940, Kilauea erupted more than a dozen times. lava flows. Facing physical danger, Okubo and The volcano remained active in the 1950s and his colleagues evacuated. But even now, after Read a Q&A with alumnus Paul Okubo about what 1960s, sometimes erupting three times in a the flows finally ceased in September and a it’s like to work on an active volcano: single year. Then, in 1983, the volcano began portion of the national park surrounding the http://bit.ly/okubo-hvo erupting along its East Rift Zone—and has volcano reopened, the extensive infrastructure

22 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 23 Image credits: Punch tape courtesy of Dr. Sven Treitel. Oilfield seismogram courtesy of Bill Gafford, Geophysical Society of Houston Geoscience Center. HAGER PASSES ERL BATON TO DEMANET GAG used the Whirlwind. Despite computing setbacks, technology continued to improve and over several years, GAG consistently showed the Laurent Demanet has been named consortium’s advisory committee the promise director of MIT’s Earth Resources of deconvolution using digital computing. By Laboratory (ERL), succeeding Bradford 1953, it became apparent that industry liked the Hager, Cecil and Ida Green Professor deconvolution method, but not digital processing. of Earth Sciences, who has led the lab They insisted on investigating the properties of since 2012. noise and analog filters to boost the signal to noise ratio—the cost and inconsistency of digital “ERL is MIT’s home for geophysical processing deterred them. research driven by technological ques- tions,” says Demanet. “The laboratory When Robinson first started leading GAG in likely finds itself at the doorstep of an 1952, his objectives were to make deconvolution information revolution: new methods of operable on a production basis with the Whirl- data processing, inference, and learning wind, demonstrate that deconvolution worked on will change the nature of the research enterprise itself. As director, I hope to encourage assorted seismic records, and provide a geophys- ERL to build on its extraordinary legacy and become a constructive actor of that change, ical model that justified deconvolution. When in every aspect from scientific and technological, to societal and environmental.” he submitted his doctoral thesis “Predictive decomposition of time series with applications Demanet is an associate professor of applied mathematics at MIT and holds the Class of THE BIRTH OF DIGITAL SEISMOLOGY to seismic exploration” in the summer of 1954, 1954 Career Development Chair. Previously, Demanet was Szego Assistant Professor GAG had achieved this. By introducing the con- (a postdoctoral position) in the Department of Mathematics at Stanford. He obtained his Led by MIT alumni Enders Robinson and Sven Treitel, MIT’s former Geophysical Analysis Group volutional model, GAG showed that the signal PhD in 2006 under Emmanuel Candes, in Applied and Computational Mathematics at and noise are related and that the seismic trace transformed the field of geophysical recording and data processing. Caltech, and holds undergraduate degrees in mathematical engineering and theoretical is the sum of wavelets arriving with random physics from the Université de Louvain, Belgium. strengths and arrival times. In Robinson’s words, IN THE LATE 1940S, a conversation between an waveform trace in analog—a process called Wadsworth and Norbert Weiner, began applying this turned the seismic world upside down. A long-time member of ERL, Demanet’s research interests include geophysical imaging, MIT geologist and a mathematician led to an in- “convolution” —which scientists had to visually time-series analysis to weather prediction and inverse problems, scientific computing, and wave propagation. His Imaging and Comput- novative collaboration that would revolutionize tease apart. seismic exploration, using traces provided by For the remaining four years, GAG continued to ing Group studies inverse problems related to wave scattering and high-frequency data, geophysics and the exploration energy industry: petroleum companies. Simultaneously, Robinson perform significant research: fitting the model to including many questions motivated by real-life challenges in seismic and radar imag- MIT’s Geophysical Analysis Group (GAG), the pre- The new consortium at MIT, GAG, was about to pursued a master’s degree in economics with the data and differentiating between different ing—specifically, fast algorithms for wave propagation, applied harmonic analysis, non- cursor to the Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL) change all of that, making computation easier, Paul A. Samuelson and Robert Solow, who also types of noise, but interest and guidance from in- linear signal processing, convex relaxations in optimization, and more recently machine in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and quicker, and more accurate. worked with time-series—a move that would dustry petered out. By June 1957, GAG shut down learning for geophysics. Planetary Sciences (EAPS). prove useful with his geology problem. and its members scattered into industry. It was during a carpool that MIT Professor Bradford Hager is stepping down as director of ERL in order to focus on his geomechanics Before the earliest computers, researchers, George Wadsworth, a mathematician applying While trying to find underlying innovations in In the early ’60s, former GAG graduate student research, particularly on induced seismicity, and to work on co-directing the MIT Energy students, and geophysicists scrutinized seismic time-series methods to weather prediction, was economic data, Robinson learned that technolog- Sven Treitel ’53, SM ‘55 PhD ’58, then working at Initiative’s new Low Carbon Energy Center for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage. data—laboriously interpreting peaks and valleys discussing the use of mathematics in geology ical advances could not be predicted, so when he Amoco, revived GAG’s work and, with Robinson, During his 6-year term as ERL director, Hager is particularly proud of the expansion of on a seismic trace—to map subsurface features with Professors Robert R. Shrock and Patrick M. crafted mathematical equations to reflect this, he began adapting it for the needs of the fossil fuel broad interdepartmental collaborations in geomechanics, including the acquisition of and find likely reservoirs of hydrocarbons. To Hurley, both of whom worked in MIT’s Depart- found that there should be a measurable predic- industry. Together, they developed Fortran software, a novel large-volume experimental apparatus to investigate micro-earthquakes in the obtain this time-series data, exploration geo- ment of Geology and Geophysics. Wadsworth tion error in the data when one occurs. Robinson as well as writing and republishing papers in laboratory using modern seismological techniques. physicists would trigger ground motions with needled Hurley because weather and seismic proposed applying this to geophysics—treating layman’s language to function as a teaching tool. explosives sending energy through the earth. traces behaved similarly and wondered why digitized seismic traces as economic series and By the mid-1960s digital memory improved In taking on his new role, Demanet reflects on the influence his predecessor has had on The “echoes” were recorded as a waveform on a time-series analysis had not yet been applied carrying out prediction-error filtering, now called significantly and digital processing overtook the success of the lab: “I am impressed by Brad Hager’s talent to bring about far-reaching strip of photographic paper: a seismograph. As to seismograms. Wadsworth, now interested deconvolution. The method worked. Excited by geophysics, making it the first scientific field to collaborations that look improbable to the rest of us. Under his leadership and vision, the waves traveled through layers with different in geophysics, set a new graduate student, the initial results and the technique’s potential, do so. Former GAG members, now leaders at oil ERL has become a powerhouse for integrated geomechanics research ranging from the porosities, they would bend, distort, reflect, and Enders Robinson ’50, S.M. ’52, PhD ’54 to the Hurley drummed up interest from the oil and gas and service companies, were on board, and the microscale to the reservoir scale.” reverberate, providing information about the task of determining if he could use time-series industry while Robinson learned to code on the early ’70s saw the “Golden Era” of industry-spon- local geology and potential fossil fuel resources. analysis to find wave reflections in the record Whirlwind, MIT’s first digital computer. sored university consortia, including MIT’s ERL, that would help estimate the properties of the which continues to this day in a similar form, to The Earth Resources Laboratory is a center of research and education on sub-surface energy However, seismic data are notoriously “noisy.” Earth’s subsurface. In February of 1952, GAG was born in the tackle geophysical challenges leveraging the resources and environmental issues.The laboratory is comprised of a dozen faculty members Seismographs pick up irrelevant motions in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and a latest in mathematics, machine learning and and their groups, active in areas ranging from seismology to geomechanics, rock physics, flows earth or capture the same wave multiple times Time-series analysis fascinated Robinson. After year later, it became a consortium—with oil and Earth sciences. in porous media, and methods of inversion, inference, and uncertainty quantification. as it reflects off of underground features. In the finishing his bachelor’s in mathematics at MIT, service companies, MIT researchers, and graduate addition model that industry used at the time, Robinson returned to MIT in the fall of 1950 students. Raytheon was contracted to help with Read more about the research: Read more about the research: http://erlweb.mit.edu all of these wave sources combined into a single and, working under Professors of Mathematics calculations using the FERUT computer, while http://bit.ly/digital-seismology

24 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 25 FRIENDS OF EAPS SPOTLIGHT ON THE VALUE OF INVESTMENT IN FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH

Thanks to the mTerra Catalyst Fund, HOW DO SCIENTISTS get that first grant to models of river networks. The ultimate goal is to a new seed fund established by EAPS kick off a totally new project or explore an “out uncover the mechanisms by which dynamic river Visiting Committee member Michael of the box” idea? As the competition for federal networks influence biodiversity, thereby helping PLANTING SEEDS TO funding becomes more intense, federal agencies to guide future efforts to manage and preserve J. Mars, faculty in the Department of require “proof of concept” before making research some of the world’s most valuable ecosystems. Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary grants. This can be frustrating for scientists BREAK NEW GROUND Sciences (EAPS) are receiving a wanting to forge new paths of research—and McGee’s paleoclimate research project will financial boost for original earth seed funding for “high risk” research (where adopt a novel approach to reconstructing past and climate science research in results are somewhat unpredictable) is in short temperatures using cave deposits from the supply. Aware of this challenge, EAPS faculty Northwest Territories in Canada that are up to include emissions from airplanes and power sites worldwide that offers scientific laborato- the Appalachian Mountains and the A curiosity about climate change led were excited to hear that the mTerra Catalyst 7.7 million years old. According to McGee, “These plants, or even forests being burned to clear ries that sit high up within mixed-phase clouds Northwest Territories. Bill Martin, president of Boston-based Fund is available to nurture innovative research cave deposits are from one of the few regions of land for grazing cattle. for long time periods. Mixed-phase clouds CME Energy—a global company that in the earth and climate sciences. Canada that were not glaciated during the last (MPCs) can consist of both “warm” clouds of prides itself on its environmental 3 million years, and they contain fluid inclusions These particles can cool the climate directly by water droplets and also “cold” clouds of ice responsibility—to seed some The first two projects selected to receive mTerra that may help us estimate the mean annual scattering some radiation back to space that crystals, and these clouds are not only critical Catalyst funding are Taylor Perron’s “Rewiring of temperature at the time of their formation.” innovative research in the clouds at would otherwise warm the planet, and by seed- players in the Earth’s water cycle, but are also River Networks and the Biodiversity of Freshwa- the summit of Mount Washington. ing clouds that have an even greater scattering the least predictable when it comes to climate ter Species” and David McGee’s “Novel Records This work has the potential to unlock an import- Now, his initial investment in effect. Monitoring aerosol particles, their origins, models. Using “SPIDER” (phaSe seParation Inlet of High-Latitude Continental Temperatures ant new archive of past climates spanning large fundamental science has grown into their cloud-forming properties, and their move- for Droplets icE crystals, and aeRosols)—the During Past Warm Climates.” portions of the Quaternary, Pliocene, and possibly a federally-funded collaborative ment across the U.S. is a high priority for climate new technology developed by Cziczo’s group to beyond. This data is currently lacking and will scientists who are working to understand the separate water droplets, ice, and aerosol par- project, with implications for building “Freshwater environments are exceptionally be particularly valuable for input into climate source and impact of aerosols, and to devise ticles—the team will undertake a season-long more accurate models to better biologically diverse. Although rivers and lakes models which can help predict future warm- accurate climate models to help us predict and study of droplet and ice concentrations within understand our changing climate. cover only 1 percent of the Earth’s surface, ing. “The northern hemisphere’s high-latitude plan for the future. they host roughly one-third of all described continental areas are warming faster than any vertebrates,” says Perron. “But river networks other land areas on the planet,” McGee said, “and Martin’s gift enabled Cziczo and his are constantly being reorganized by geological climate models have historically underestimated AFTER MEETING DAN CZICZO, associate team (former graduate student Libby processes—growing or shrinking, forging or the extent of this warming.” professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric Koolik and postdoc Michael Roesch) “I decided to fund Dan’s climate breaking connections—especially in tectonically and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), at a School of to create and deploy state-of-the-art research as I wanted to help active regions that Improving the accuracy of climate models in Science event, Martin visited Cziczo’s lab to hear instrumentation at the summit of often happen to order to improve our understanding of the about his atmospheric research and the need to Mount Washington to monitor atmo- fill in some of the gaps in also be biodiversity magnitude of future warming in these regions is track aerosols in the atmosphere to advance our spheric particles in an environment knowledge about aerosols.” hotspots.” Perron’s critical given the potential for melting of perma- understanding of clouds and their role in climate that is relatively free of pollution and “We have an extraordinary — Bill Martin group has devel- frost containing large stocks of carbon, and the models. The pilot project Martin chose to fund af- anthropogenic history of the Earth yet to President | CME Energy oped new tech- dependence of ice sheet stability on high-lati- ter his visit laid the groundwork for a major study influences. discover to understand past niques for measur- tude temperatures. at MIT, in collaboration with scientists in the Based on this ing river network Rocky Mountains, along with a three-year $600K pilot study, climate change and its impact reorganization, “I have always been interested in the earth grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). the NSF then on life, and it is as important to and the develop- sciences, and I am concerned about humanity’s agreed to these clouds for comparison ment of low-cost impact on global earth systems,” noted Mars. “I decided to fund Dan’s climate research as I fund further to existing measurements of study the geologic record as it DNA sequencing “I am delighted to support novel areas of research wanted to help fill in some of the gaps in knowl- research in cloud properties. This innova- is to study the current changes now allows for in EAPS that can advance human understanding edge about aerosols,” said Martin. “I’m thrilled collaboration tive technique will lead to a taking place…” efficient genetic of the dynamics of these complex systems that this early study on Mount Washington has with Storm new method of characterizing analyses that can and potentially help to advance future policy paved the way for a larger NSF-sponsored study Peak Labo- MPCs that can be used to hone — Michael J. Mars be compared with efforts towards sustainable living. We have an with another mountaintop site in Colorado.” ratory (SPL) current climate models. Founding Principal | mTerra Ventures geological studies. extraordinary history of the Earth yet to discover of the Desert Computational to understand past climate change and its Aerosols, formed by the suspension of particles Research Bill Martin is excited: “My hope models of evolving impact on life. And, it is as important to study in the atmosphere, can originate from myriad Institute in is that this investment will landscapes and biological communities will be the geologic record as it is to study the current human and natural sources. Natural origins can Colorado. help lead climate scientists to coupled in a new way in this pilot study. Perron changes taking place to form an understanding range from salt from the oceans or dust blown greater accuracy in their mod- Cave stalagmites offer records of atmospheric and graduate student Maya Stokes will under- of how the climate, oceans, and land will react in from the Sahara Desert, to particles spewed SPL is among els and their predictions for the circulation and precipitation which the McGee take fieldwork in the southern Appalachians to to human inputs and use.” from an erupting volcano. Human sources can a handful of future of our planet.” Lab uses to develop more precise chronologies document the history of changing river networks, of past climates—valuable­ data for understanding and predicting future warming. and they will build simulations of biological spe- Read more about the research on these pages: ciation and dispersal that will be coupled with http://bit.ly/eaps-seed-funds In the lab, Dan Cziczo shows Fujiko Nakaya and Bill Martin the SPIDER cloud separation device deployed on Mt. Washington, NH. Photo courtesy the Cziczo Lab Photo credit: Jeremy Shakun

26 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 27 BY DR. ARI EPSTEIN | TERRASCOPE VOLO FOUNDATION FUNDS STUDY TO INVESTIGATE BANKS OF THE RIPPLE EFFECT HALOCARBON David McGee and Terrascope help first-year students who are interested in studying Earth systems and issues surrounding climate and sustainability to navigate life at MIT and beyond.

THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE AT MIT can be where he shines,” the citation read. “Rather than from people directly affected by the problem, and rich and challenging, but also daunting and giving students the answers, he mentors them exploring the physical setting in detail. confusing. Thinking about your future—plotting and guides them to find their own solutions.” your career at MIT, personal and professional Terrascope offers students the unique development, your role as a steward of the Earth, McGee leads Terrascope’s cornerstone class, opportunity and resources to grow personally, IN THE 1980S, SUSAN SOLOMON, now the data, the VoLo Foundation and everything in-between—is understandably “Solving Complex Problems,” also known as develop solutions to critical problems, and EAPS Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of (established by David S. overwhelming. Of course, choosing a major and an “Mission 20xx”—the number reflecting the communicate their work in a creative and Environmental Studies, was part of a team Vogel ‘95 (XVIII) and Thais Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program students’ graduation year. Each year’s mission accessible manner. The success of the program that identified the primary agent responsible Lopez Vogel) is funding a new (UROP) are great first steps. Joining an MIT addresses a different multifaceted problem is borne out in its recognition—it has been for degrading the Earth’s ozone layer and study led by Susan Solomon first-year learning community like Terrascope, related to climate and sustainability that designated as an “Exemplar in Engineering affecting its climate: a type of halocarbon, and EAPS graduate student directed by David McGee, associate professor requires students to think creatively, consider Ethics Education” by the National Academy chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The scientific Megan Lickley. They’ll analyze in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric interdisciplinary approaches, and make difficult of Engineering (one of only 25 programs evidence that she helped provide ultimately the amount of halocarbons at risk and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), can help take tradeoffs. Together, over the semester, they will nationwide to receive this honor), and led to a global production phase out of of escaping and quantify the potential students even further, providing real mentorship develop a solution that is then published online Terrascope Radio was recently awarded “Best halocarbons like CFCs with the establishment impact of policies to capture, manage, and to help fit the pieces of their personal puzzle. and publicly defended in front of a panel of Documentary” at the annual National Student of the Montreal Protocol. To date, this has been recycle these halocarbons in order to prevent experts, similar to how scientists, policymakers, Electronic Media Convention. the most effective policy measure for mitigating emission into the atmosphere. Co-founded by EAPS and the Department and society interact in the real world. both ozone depletion and global warming. and of Civil and Environmental Engineering As one Terrascoper observed, “The most important Since then she’s been tracking the ozone hole’s “It is clear that avoiding halocarbon emission is determine (CEE), Terrascope provides an innovative and Terrascopers can then dive deeper into the thing I learned in Terrascope? The power of recovery and the effects these halocarbon a powerful tool for climate change mitigation,” viable solutions. supportive setting in which first-year students mission with courses like “Design for Complex looking for the answers yourself.…There isn’t emissions are having on the climate system. says Solomon. “There is an urgent need to take become acclimated to the Institute while they Environmental Issues,” where they develop a lot of teaching in Terrascope, but there’s a action: each year these halocarbon banks are “This bank of halocarbons represents a unique take charge of their educational experience, engineering solutions for parts of the year’s humongous amount of learning.” However, the problem didn’t end there. not managed means more emission to the target for mitigating climate change (and working in teams to address complex, core problem, and Terrascope Radio, where they Halocarbons like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), atmosphere and more warming impact. If this further protecting the ozone layer in the case of global, interdisciplinary problems involving create a publicly broadcast audio program for Read more about Terrascope: hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and problem is not addressed soon, the opportunity CFCs and HCFCs),” says Abilgail Axelrod, Program sustainability, climate, and Earth systems. general audiences addressing their mission http://bit.ly/mcgee-terrascope hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) still exist around to prevent further harm will be squandered.” Officer of the VoLo Foundation. “And Solomon’s topic. In these classes, students take the lead the world, residing in refrigeration units at study will help to show how important such McGee studies paleoclimatology, so he in developing research plans, structuring their --- risk of leaking—still threatening the ozone Since the Montreal Protocol parties are steps could be.” appreciates the magnitude a small influence— project timelines, and determining the scope EAPS and the Terrascope Gift Fund subsidize the layer. Further, these compounds are potent now discussing these remaining halocarbon be it weather perturbations or advising and content of their final projects. field experience for our students and we need your greenhouse gases. Per pound, CFC-12 has “banks,” the study will provide critical data Read more about the research: undergraduates—can have over time. Recognized support to ensure that we can keep this experience 11,000-times more global warming potential for scientifically-supported decision making. http://bit.ly/volo-solomon for his outstanding work, McGee received MIT’s The annual spring break field experience then open to all. Thanks to a generous challenge grant than CO₂ over a hundred years. But scientists Further, it analyzes how much further 2018 First-Year Advisor Excellence in Mentoring brings the mission to life. Program members of $40,000, your gift may even be doubled! don’t yet know how much still exists, what their protection the climate system could have False-color view of the monthly-averaged total Award. “Professor McGee demonstrates the travel to locations relevant to the year’s topic, To support the Terrascope Gift Fund (2739491), impact on climate change could be if released, gained had authorities chosen to control ozone over the Antarctic pole for October 2018. Blues and purples indicate where there is the essence of mentorship with his students. This is assessing the issue as it exists, gaining perspective please go to http://bit.ly/eaps-giving and the benefits of capturing them before then. CFC banks in the U.S. and Europe earlier. least ozone, yellows and reds indicate where It will also assess the size of the HCFC banks there is more ozone. With a world population of 9 billion expected by 2050, Terrascope Mission 2019 students explored the issue of food security, visiting New Mexico where Given the potential for harm, and the possibility currently held in the U.S., China, and India; agriculture has been influenced by water scarcity, human migration, technology, and agricultural practices from across the world. Photo courtesy Terrascope of finding a solution backed up by scientific their potential impact upon global warming; Image credit: NASA Goddard Flight Center

28 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 29 “Our shared commitment to improving the in the constellation of possibilities in ocean sci- ant undersea volcano near the Samoan Islands understanding of the marine world and to the ences.…So much of our nation’s prosperity and was the first to reveal its ongoing activity, hav- important mission of training new generations of our well-being is tied up and connected to the ing found that a huge cone had grown within marine scientists has kept us working productively ocean,” Richardson said, citing oceangoing trade; the volcano’s crater since its first discovery. for over a half century,” said Maria Zuber, the transoceanic communications cables; the rising E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and Vice search for energy, mineral, and food resources in That diversity of research has been a hallmark President for Research at MIT, speaking about the ocean; and the preponderance of big cities of the program. Chawalit Charoengpong, current the successes of the MIT-WHOI JP leadership, located on the coast. MIT-WHOI JP student, noted that students have which presently includes MIT Program Direc- extraordinary access to exciting fieldwork and tor Edward Boyle—an early PhD graduate of MIT-WHOI JP affiliates have also made signifi- quickly become part of the teams doing cutting- the program in 1976 and professor of ocean cant contributions to advancing the science of edge research. Of the roughly 700 scientific geochemistry in the Department of Earth, Atmo- climate change and informing policymakers’ papers published per year by WHOI scientists, spheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS)—and his understanding of that change and its impacts, more than 100 are co-authored by MIT-WHOI JP WHOI counterpart, Vice President and Dean for according to John Holdren ’65, SM ’66, former students, about 60 of those are first authors. Academic Programs Margaret Tivey. president of the Woods Hole Research Center and science advisor to President Barack Obama, “Graduate students have helped my career and “Our education of oceanographers and earth who gave a political history of the climate were involved in everything we did,” said MIT scientists contributes to the rational discussion change debate at the symposium. Institute Professor and former MIT-WHOI JP of our natural world—how it functions, how it’s Director Sallie (Penny) Chisholm—one of several changing, why it is changing, and what to expect The two-day event included many graduates former program directors to speak at the event. in the future,” said WHOI Emeritus Senior Scien- who spoke about their diverse contributions to tist Joe Pedlosky ’59, SM ’60, PhD ’63, who started the field. Among them were Heather Goldstone “Never before has an oceanographic education in Woods Hole as the Doherty Oceanographer PhD ’03, who promotes science literacy through been so important,” Jackson said. “Basic research and taught in the MIT-WHOI JP for 28 years. a weekly science radio news show, Living Lab; is desperately needed on Earth’s remaining fron- Hedy Edmonds PhD ’97, chair of the National tier. Oceans are ground zero for climate changes, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Science Foundation’s chemical oceanography rising sea levels, ocean acidification, new species, Richardson—who earned three master’s degrees program; Oscar Pizarro PhD ’05, who launched coral reef damage, deep-sea mining, and impacts from the MIT-WHOI JP—spoke about the rich robotic undersea vehicles developed at WHOI on marine ecology. These are huge issues, some IN 1968 ABOARD THE VESSEL CHAIN, history of MIT, WHOI, and the Navy tackling to monitor coral sites and other marine habitats of the most pressing issues we face, and the two esteemed scientific institutions launched an challenges facing the U.S. “We in the Navy think around Australia; and Matt Jackson PhD ’08, MIT-WHOI Joint Program is perfectly positioned THE MIT-WHOI unorthodox academic experiment: each would of this [program] as just a jewel— a bright star whose work as a graduate student to map a gi- to train scientists to address these issues.” remain fiercely independent, but they would jointly coordinate a graduate program to educate and train ocean scientists and engineers. At a time JOINT PROGRAM of scientific and political fervor for ocean scienc- es, the pairing was natural but unconventional. FUNDING THE FUTURE OF OCEAN FIELDWORK MIT ranked among the foremost centers of higher Maxwell-Hanrahan Fund for Education and Research established to honor former WHOI Provost Art Maxwell. education in science and engineering. And WHOI CELEBRATES 50 The 50th anniversary of the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, and the desire standing of continental drift. “Pat and I wanted to help provide that scientists pioneered ocean instruments and vehicles and launched research ships from their to honor her father’s scientific legacy, inspired Delle R. Maxwell SM experience to students in EAPS and the MIT-WHOI Joint Program to port. One could provide world-class coursework; ’83 and her husband Patrick M. Hanrahan to make a $1.5M gift to enrich their education, and to develop their sense of awe and respect the other offered unparalleled fieldwork. EAPS, endowing the Maxwell-Hanrahan Fund for Education and for the sea, and to drive their research to answer important questions BY LONNY LIPSETT | MIT-WHOI JOINT PROGRAM NEWS Research. The new fund ensures students will be able to carry out about our oceans and climate.” Abridged from the original, which ran in Oceanus Magazine Today, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology- oceanographic research at sea, benefiting from the kinds of field Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/jp-50 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint experiences that sparked renowned geophysicist Arthur (Art) E. Art, now 93, spent 16 years at WHOI where, in his final role as provost, Program in Oceanography and Applied Ocean Maxwell’s lifelong passion for oceanography. Additionally, the couple he helped launch the MIT-WHOI Joint Program. He went on to direct Science and Engineering (MIT-WHOI JP) is made a $1M gift to WHOI to support the Arthur E. Maxwell Fellow- the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas, Austin, where world-renowned, boasting 1,053 degrees ship Fund, established by James A. Austin PhD ’79 (XII), a graduate of he is now an emeritus professor of the Jackson School of Geosciences. awarded: 764 doctoral, 58 engineer’s and 231 the MIT-WHOI Joint Program honoring his mentor. master’s. These alumni have become leaders EAPS Assistant Professor and oceanographer Andrew Babbin, whose in the field and are making valuable contri- “My father always had a love of the sea and spoke about the recent pilot course “Field Oceanography” sailed the Florida Straits butions in research, teaching, government, transformative experience of being an explorer and researcher. with 17 students to study marine chemistry, physics, and biology, industry, and the Navy. The interesting challenges he faced—from equipment breakdown was delighted to learn about the fund: “Fieldwork inspires young to stormy weather—taught him to work as a member of a team, scientists. There is simply no substitute for sailing beyond the horizon To toast their golden anniversary, the institutions across disciplines, and to problem-solve,” she reflected, remembering to appreciate the immensity of the oceans and their critical role in celebrated with festivities this past September, her father’s stories of life at sea, including early work in the Pacific sustaining human life on Earth. The Maxwell-Hanrahan Fund will The first four graduates of the MIT-WHOI Joint Program are seated in the front at the first with Dr. Roger Revelle and Sir Edward Bullard. Onboard the Glomar help provide this kind of life-changing opportunity and ensure that commencement ceremonies in 1970 at WHOI in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. WHOI’s research including a symposium at MIT with faculty, vessel Knorr (right) was in port for the occasion. guests, and alumni, and a reception at WHOI Challenger as a member of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Art explored we maintain a healthy pipeline of aspiring oceanographers.” with reflections from MIT-WHOI JP leadership on the depths of the southern Atlantic and helped to shape our under- Photo credit: WHOI Archives the program then, now, and where it’s headed.

30 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 31 PLANETARY ASTRONOMY LABORATORY TURNS 50

In April 2018, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the MIT Planetary McCord led the Astronomy Laboratory (PAL), founded by Tom McCord in 1968 during an Planetary Astronomy exciting era of space exploration and astronomical science. McCord also Lab until 1977 when CELEBRATING conceived of and oversaw the creation of MIT’s Wallace Astrophysical Professor Jim Elliot Observatory (WAO) that was built in Westford, Massachusetts in 1971. (1943-2011) took over as director of the TWO PIONEERS At the event, PAL alumni reflected upon signature successes of the WAO. Michael Person, 1960s-70s including inventing the first digital imaging camera, establish- the current director, ing initial composition estimates of the Moon, revealing Saturn’s ring com- described recent work OF MODERN position to be water ice, discovering water ice on two of Jupiter’s moons, observing bodies and publishing the first papers on asteroid mining. Students had also throughout our solar system, specializing in observing stellar occultations METEOROLOGY helped to develop advanced computer-controlled telescope systems and of distant bodies such as Pluto, Triton, and Kuiper Belt objects. automated analysis of astronomical images. After MIT, many alums con- tinued on to participate in landmark achievements such as the develop- The planetary sciences program continues to thrive, with classes in obser- ment of nuclear test detection, the XWindows system, the Mars Pathfinder vational astronomy in demand and many students seeking research proj- Born 100 years ago this year, In February, the Department of Earth, Atmospher- Lorenz, described as “a [gentle] genius with a mission, and remote sensing equipment used to detect pollution following ects at the WAO through the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunity ic and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) celebrated the soul of an artist,” revolutionized our understand- 9/11 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Program. And over the years, gifts from alumni have helped the Westford Professors Jule Charney lives and scientific legacies of MIT scientists ing of atmospheric dynamics and discovered that facility keep pace with advancing technology, including a new 24-inch and Edward Lorenz gave us and meteorologists Jule G. Charney and Edward infinitesimal differences in initial atmospheric The reunion, organized by McCord and EAPS Research Scientist Jason telescope, an automated dome and shed roof, and remote observation Soderblom, brought together PAL alumni to share memories and to capabilities from the Green Building. numerical weather prediction N. Lorenz at a symposium “MIT on Chaos and conditions produced dramatically different Climate.” The event marked the centenary of the forecasts—an idea he continued to develop, be updated on current work. Alumni speakers at the event included: and chaos theory, highlighting birth of these individuals and remembered their becoming what is known as chaos theory. Bonnie Buratti, Clark Chapman, Roger Clark, Jim Gettys, Bob Huguenin, To make a gift to support the WAO, or the James Elliot Graduate Student Torrence Johnson, Jay Kunin, Andy Lazarewicz, Tom and Carol McCord, Support Fund, please visit: http://bit.ly/eaps-giving the value of basic research. pioneering work on the atmosphere, oceans, and This finding shifted thinking away from de- climate. Their research not only shaped modern terministic numerical weather prediction to Lucy McFadden, Jessica Mink, Carle Pieters, Ron Prinn, Bob Singer, and Faith Vilas. Several visited the WAO to pour over the original logbook, meteorology but also impacted numerous other probabilistic forecasts, with a ripple effect in Front Row: Tom McCord; Second Row: Carol McCord, Mike Person, Torrence Johnson, still used by undergraduates today, to find where they made their first scientific fields. non-deterministic systems across science. Tim Brothers, Karen Lazarewicz; Back Row: Jessica Mink, George Silvis, Jim Gettys, mark in astronomical history. Andrew Lazarewicz, Mark and Linda Rognstadt, Andy Howell The occasion brought together the MIT com- Today, the scientists’ research and ideals are munity, family members, and alumni from the seamlessly intertwined, benefiting science and former Department of Meteorology (Course XIX), society. This practice of fostering curiosity-driven, as well as respected colleagues from related basic research with students at MIT now underpins fields. During their careers, Charney and Lorenz the mission of the Lorenz Center: to understand ERL REMEMBERS JOE WALSH chaired Course XIX, which merged to become the complexity of the climate system. the current EAPS. The group shared personal memories of the scientists, discussed the sig- Revisiting the past offers valuable lessons for The Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL) Walsh used rigorous mechanical principles to devise theories fundamental nificance of their studies, and highlighted their future thinking and research, said Raffaele Ferrari, organized a symposium in April 2018 to such diverse fields as seismology, oil and gas exploration, and hydrolo- dedication to rigorous fundamental research. Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Oceanography to honor Joseph B. Walsh ‘52, ME ‘56, gy. After retiring from MIT in 1986, he settled in Westport, Massachusetts and chair of the EAPS Program in Atmospheres, SCD ‘58 (II) a long time member of and continued to conduct theoretical studies of rock friction and fluid “It’s fair to say that Jule Charney turned the Oceans and Climate. “It is inspirational and the Department of Earth, Atmospher- flow in fractured rocks. In 1999, he was appointed a visiting scholar in the mystery of the erratic behavior of the atmo- helpful for our students to learn about the ic and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Brown Uni- sphere into a recognizable, although a very, evolution of scientific ideas and the values that and a close collaborator with former versity, where he continued his research until his death at the age of 86. very difficult problem in fluid physics,” said Joe have made the department what it is today and department head William F. Brace. Pedlosky ‘59, SM ‘60 (XVI), PhD ‘63 (XIX), Woods that are part of our legacy.” After his graduation from MIT, Walsh “Walsh was well-known in the rock mechanics community, although per- Hole Oceanographic Institution emeritus senior spent time spent overseas and worked with the Woods Hole Oceanographic haps underappreciated outside it,” said Scholz, “The influence of his work scientist, and former Charney student. Char- Inspired, Jagadish Shukla SCD ’76 (XIX) and Institution before joining MIT’s former Geology and Geophysics Department has been broad and profound.” EAPS Research Scientist Yves Bernabé PhD ney’s work allowed for concise mathematical Richard R. Babcock PhD ’78 (XIX) generously (now EAPS) in 1963, beginning a 25-year collaboration with Brace. ‘86 (XII), who was also Bill Brace’s final PhD student, explained why so many came to remember Joe at the symposium: “Joe had a great influ- Read more about the research: description of large-scale atmospheric and offered challenge grants to match gifts for a EAPS alumni Arthur C. H. Cheng SCD ‘78 (XII), David Lockner PhD ‘90 (XII, ence on so many lives. He was not just a great scientist but also a true http://bit.ly/meteorology-pioneers oceanic circulations, and enabled numerical new Charney Library. The recently completed weather prediction. He also provided insights renovation provides a comfortable and attrac- XII D), Dale Morgan PhD ‘81 (XII, XII D), Amos M. Nur PhD ‘69 (XII), and friend. He had a great sense of humor, and it was always fun to spend Chris Scholz PhD ‘67 (XII) were among the speakers at the symposium. time with him.” Watch the symposium talks: into weather systems, hurricanes, drought, tive space on the 14th floor of the department’s “The Walsh-Brace period was one of rapid development in rock mechanics http://bit.ly/charney-lorenz-talks desertification, and ocean currents. Charney’s home in the Green Building for students and charisma, academic integrity, and zeal for scientists to gather and continue to advance our on many fronts”, noted Scholz, “It was a perfect combination: Joe did the Read more about Walsh’s life and research: research touched many. understanding of the climate system. theory, and Bill did the experiments.” http://bit.ly/joe-walsh-remembrance

32 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 33 LEFT On his first research STUDENT RESEARCH PROFILES cruise, aboard the icebreaker Healy in the Arctic, PhD ERIC BEAUCÉ JOHN BIERSTEKER student Mukund Gupta (background) Seismology has undergone great changes since the begin- Prior to the detection of the first exoplanet two decades gained valuable ning of the digital era in the 1970s, revolutionizing the way ago, our ideas about how planets form were largely based insights into how we collect seismic data. While our capacity to characterize on the example of a single planetary system: our own. The measurements are and map earthquakes all over the globe is highly-improved, subsequent discovery of hundreds more planetary systems taken at sea—like the we are still facing fundamental, unanswered questions. has challenged these theories, revealing the incredible kind which can later Among them figures one of primary importance for society: diversity of planets that nature produces. At the same time, be used to help inform can we predict earthquakes? Although many seismologists new spacecraft missions in our solar system have allowed the models he builds have resigned themselves to think that earthquakes are by us to begin to probe the earliest days of its formation with to better understand nature unpredictable, the ongoing progress in seismic in- a precision currently impossible for systems farther away. Earth’s past and strumentation is driving new methods for studying the Earth. I am interested in combining these exquisite observations present climate. of our solar system with the rapidly-expanding exoplan- Addressing the question of earthquake prediction is not etary census to better understand how planets form, why RIGHT trivial; it involves developments in both theory and data some systems look so different from our own, and how Interdisciplinary analysis. My research with Robert van der Hilst and Michel common the formation of Earth-like planets may be. research is a hallmark Campillo leverages the massive amount of data with auto- MUKUND GUPTA SARAH SCHWARTZ of EAPS: as a matic processing to detect earthquakes and create catalogs With Hilke Schlichting, I am working to understand a class PhD student in the that store information about their locations and timings. of planets known as super-Earths. These worlds, which are One of the fascinating things that drew me to the Earth Earth’s smallest organisms—microbes—have reshaped the MIT microbiology This work is at the interface of seismology and data science: larger than the Earth, are incredibly abundant in our galaxy, sciences was the fact that the climate of our planet may planet’s chemical and physical systems over billions of years. graduate program, on one hand, we need to have a clear understanding of the yet they have no solar system analog. Some super-Earths have experienced completely different states at various My research focuses on the tandem evolution of microbes Sarah Schwartz physics of seismic wave propagation to design algorithms appear to be mostly rocky, but others have significant points in its history. We know, for example, that during a and their environment. But understanding how and when works in the Fournier that make sense, and on the other hand, we need to know atmospheres of hydrogen and helium. We are investigat- large part of Earth’s past (millions to billions of years ago), microorganisms altered global geochemistry is tricky. Lab, exploring how how to extract the information we are looking for when it is ing whether collisions between planets can boil off their the climate was much warmer than today, with little to Microbial fossils are sparse, especially on deep timescales. microbes have hidden in a large volume of data. atmospheres, potentially explaining this diversity. no ice at the poles. By contrast, there is also growing evi- The Fournier Lab turns to the other logbook of early life: evolved to alter Earth’s LEFT dence that the planet was subject to intense periods the genomic record, which stores powerful information geochemistry over Another part of my research goes one step further: after In collaboration with Benjamin Weiss, I am also exploring In southern California, of glaciation, termed “Snowball Earth,” during which about the past within the DNA of modern organisms. billions of years. detecting and locating many earthquakes, it becomes possi- the formation of our own solar system with data from the near the San Jacinto ice sheets could have reached all the way down to the ble to study the mechanism responsible for the radiation of European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission to the surface of fault, graduate student equator. One could say it is fortunate that the modern I’m studying the evolution of microbial nitrogen cycling, Photo credits: Gianluca seismic waves recorded by the seismometers. I mostly focus comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Comets like 67P are Eric Beaucé installed climate lies comfortably between these “Hothouse” and trying to determine when and which microbes evolved Meneghello; Debra Bogaert on comparing the behavior of small earthquakes with large thought to be planetesimals—the early building blocks of seismometers in “Icehouse” extremes! proteins used to morph nitrogen from one form into an- ones, and also between small earthquake groups. The goal planets leftover from the formation of our solar system 4.5 the field, hoping to other—for example, turning toxic cyanide into ammonia, of such a study is to validate or contradict the paradigm billion years ago. Specifically, we’re working to understand capture changes in the For my research, I use a range of climate models to inves- or converting energy-rich compounds into the abundant that all earthquakes are self-similar—an oversimplification what magnetic measurements of comet 67P’s surface may Earth’s mechanical tigate what conditions could lead to an abrupt shift from nitrogen gas in Earth’s atmosphere. Genes that encode such of reality that might prevent us from capturing the nature(s) reveal about the magnetic environment in the early solar properties prior to a warm climate state to a much colder one. In particular, abilities have been refined and exchanged in microbes for of earthquakes. system and the mechanism of planetesimal accretion. earthquake events. I am interested in the possibility that very large volcanic millions of years. As microbes adapt and diverge over time, eruptions could have expelled enough gases and particles these functional genes accumulate changes. By analyzing RIGHT into the atmosphere to block sunlight from reaching the the differences among genes in diverse microorganisms, Graduate student John surface and cause extreme cooling at the Earth’s surface. we can craft a better picture of how and when different Biersteker’s research The latest known record of these mega-eruptions origi- biochemical capacities developed. takes advantage of nates from the Toba event (75,000 years ago), which likely the wealth of data cooled the planet by up to 10°C for several decades. While the genomic record is powerful, it’s often cryptic and coming in from new My results show that if enough of these eruptions occurred incomplete, just like the geological fossil record. Our lab space instrumentation over a timescale of several hundred years, the climate uses advanced computational tools to enhance the depth to study the forces could perhaps tip into a long-term glacial state. and accuracy of information extracted from genetic and components sequences—and we refine these results in the context of which build the diverse What I love about this research is that we are examining established understanding of how DNA changes, as well as range of planets very fundamental properties of the climate, with ques- concrete geological data from fossils and biomarker sources. in our galaxy, and tions like: How sensitive it is to abrupt perturbations? provide context for the How does it behave near tipping points? How do the I think often of the two engraved inscriptions outside formation of our own oceans act as a buffer against change? The answers are the U.S. National Archives: “Study the Past/ What is Past solar system. crucial to understanding Earth’s past and future climate, is Prologue.” Insights into life’s early days could illumi- and may help us infer important properties of planets nate how modern environmental systems evolved. Photos courtesy: Eric beyond our own. And they could also provide details about how they Beaucé; John Biersteker operate today—and where they’re headed next.

34 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 35

DOCTORAL DEGREES AWARDED [2018] MASTER’S DEGREES AWARDED [2018] NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE

John V. Agard Atmospheric Science Kerry Emanuel Dependence of Continental Severe Convective Instability on Climatological Ammar M. Alali Geophysics F. Dale Morgan Novel Approach Towards 1D Resistivity Inversion Using The Systematically- Environmental Conditions Determined Optimum Number Of Layers

Justin Bandoro Climate Physics and Susan Solomon Attribution of Stratospheric Ozone Change and Associated Climate Impacts Eric Beauce Geophysics Robert van der Study of the Seismicity in the Western Alps by Developing and Applying an Chemistry Hilst Automatic Earthquake Detection and Location Method

Erin E. Black* Chemical Ken Buesseler An Investigation of Basin-Scale Controls on Upper Ocean Export and Makayla N. Betts Geobiology Gregory Fournier Gene Transfer History of Carbon Fixation Proteins Constrains Marine Oceanography Remineralization Cyanobacteria Divergence Times

Genevieve E. Brett* Physical Larry Pratt and Irina Chaotic Advection, Mixing, and Property Exchange in Three-Dimensional Tao Feng Atmospheric Science Paul O'Gorman The Trend of Wind Speed Over the United States During 1998 - 2011 Oceanography Rypina Ocean Eddies and Gyres

Ann M. Bauer Geology, Geochemistry Timothy Grove Archean Continental Crust Formation and the Rise of Atmospheric Oxygen Jamie Potter Geophysics Bradford Hager The Effects of Fluid Pressure Changes on Fractured Rock Elastic Moduli and Geobiology and Surface Deformation

Alissa M. Earle Planetary Sciences Richard Binzel Spectral Mapping and Long-Term Seasonal Evolution of Pluto Anna Rogers Geophysics Bradford Hager Poroelastic Modeling of Groundwater and Hydrocarbon Reservoirs: Investigating the Effects of Fluid Extraction on Fault Stability

Jimmy Gasore Atmospheric Science Ronald Prinn Quantifying Emissions of Carbon Dioxide and Methane in Central and Elezhan Zhakiya Geophysics Bradford Hager Unsupervised Machine Learning and K-Means Clustering as a Way of Eastern Africa Through High Frequency Measurements and Inverse Modeling Discovering Anomalous Events in Continuous Seismic Time Series

Daniel M. Gilford Atmospheric Science Susan Solomon The Tropopause Region Thermal Structure and Tropical Cyclones

Niya G. Grozeva* Marine Geology and Frieder Klein and Carbon and Mineral Transformations in Seafloor Serpentinization Systems Geophysics Jeffrey Seewald

Mary E. Knapp Planetary Sciences Sara Seager Toward Detection and Characterization of Exoplanetary Magnetic Fields BACHELOR’S DEGREES AWARDED [2018] via Low Frequency Radio Observation NAME PROGRAM ADVISOR THESIS TITLE

Marianna K. Linz* Physical R. Alan Plumb Age of Air and the Circulation of the Stratosphere Elisabeth L. Boles EAPS - Course XII Andrew Babbin Natural Variability in Eastern Tropical Pacific Nitrous Oxide Emissions Oceanography

Andreas W. Miller Atmospheric Science R. Alan Plumb The Role of Wavenumber One and Two in the Development of Sudden Kaylee A. Brent EAPS - Course XII David McGee An Examination of Trace Element Concentrations Across Calcite/Aragonite Stratospheric Warmings Transitions in a Madagascan Stalagmite

Simone B. Moos* Chemical Edward Boyle The Marine Biogeochemistry of Chromium Isotopes Lilian A. Dove EAPS - Course XII Daniel Cziczo Investigation of the Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation Potential of Sea Spray Oceanography Aerosol

Sharon A. Newman Geology, Geochemistry Tanja Bosak Taphonomic Studies of Fossil Preservation in Coarse-Grained Siliciclastic Nicholas D. Hoffman EAPS - Course XII Noelle Selin Modeling Methylmercury in Maine's Tribal Meres and Geobiology Environments

Adam R. Sarafian* Marine Geology and Sune Nielsen and Water and Volatile Element Accretion to the Inner Planets Jonathan L. Hurowitz EAPS - Course XII Amanda Bosh Identifying Binary Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae with Kepler K2 Geophysics Horst Marschall Campaign 11 Photometric Data

Laura A. Stevens* Marine Geology and Sarah B. Das Influence of Meltwater on Greenland Ice Sheet Dynamics Alexa J. Jaeger EAPS - Course XII Colette Heald Methane and Carbon Dioxide Cycling in Soils of the Harvard Forest Geophysics

Yuval Tal Geophysics Bradford Hager The Role of Roughness in Earthquake Source Physics Taylor Safrit EAPS - Course XII Amanda Bosh Sublimative Torques as the Origin of Bilobate Comets

Matthew W. Webber Planetary Sciences Kerri Cahoy Mapping Exoplanet Clouds and Albedo from Phase Curves and Spectra Allison M. Schneider EAPS - Course XII Glenn Flierl A Comparison of Kinematic and Dynamic Schemes for Calculating Long- range Atmospheric Trajectories

Robert S. Yi Geophysics Daniel Rothman Emergent Geometries of Groundwater-fed Rivers Mary C. Spanjers EAPS - Course XII François Tissot and Development of a Leaching Procedure for Isotopic Study of Metal/Silicate Timothy Grove Partitioning Experiments

Maria A. Zawadowicz Atmospheric Science Daniel Cziczo Understanding the Chemistry and Atmospheric Particles Using Single Sophia E. Tigges EAPS - Course XII Amanda Bosh and The Relationship Between Centaur Activity and Ring Formation Particle Mass Spectrometry Margaret Pan

36 EAPS SCOPE | 2018-2019 * Jointly awarded through the MIT-WHOI Joint Program EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 37 THE 2018-2019 EAPS GRADUATE FELLOWS SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT Caue Borlina Matthieu Kohl Tajana Schneiderman Robert R. Shrock Graduate Fellow Warren G. Klein Fellow James Elliot Fellow Planetary Science Atmospheric Science Planetary Science Earth. Planets. Climate. Life. Advisor: Benjamin Weiss Advisors: Glenn Flierl, Paul O’Gorman Advisor: Sara Seager

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric and The important discoveries made by our faculty Makayla Fendrock Donald Martocello Cassandra Seltzer Planetary Sciences (EAPS) is MIT’s hub for inter- and students provide vital data to guide pol- Whiteman Fellow Callahan-Dee Fellow M. Nafi Toksöz Fellow disciplinary research into the inaccessible depths icy-makers and our partners in academia and Marine Geology & Geophysics Chemical Oceanography Geophysics Advisor: David McGee Advisor: Andrew Babbin Advisor: Matěj Peč of Earth, distant planets, and asteroids, turbulent industry toward a more sustainable future for oceans and atmospheres, and the origins of life. our planet.

Manuel Florez Torres Joann Millstein Kasturi Shah We are training tomorrow’s scientific leaders. Gifts from alumni and friends power EAPS ed- Sven Treitel Fellow Theodore R. Madden Fellow Norman C. Rasmussen Fellow Our fundamental research seeks to understand ucation and research. Our faculty and students Geophysics Glaciology Climate Physics & Chemistry all aspects of the natural world, leading us to a need your support to fuel their pioneering Advisor: German Prieto Advisor: Brent Minchew Advisor: Susan Solomon better understanding of today’s unprecedented work. With federal funding for research under global challenges—like climate change, pollu- increasing threat, your annual support is essen- Lesley Franco Prajwal Niranha Emilie Skoog tion of our air and waters, escalating risks from tial to ensure that EAPS can continue to be an Norman C. Rasmussen Fellow Grayce B. Kerr Fellow John H. Carlson Fellow hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, rising seas, intellectual leader, and to attract and support Atmospheric Science Planetary Science Geology, Geochemistry, and Geobiology and threatened natural resources. world-class students and faculty. Advisor: Daniel Cziczo Advisor: Julien de Wit Advisor: Tanja Bosak

James Hall Meghana Ranganathan Tyler Tamasi Giving Opportunities Patrick M. Hurley Fellow Callahan-Dee Fellow Whiteman Fellow Geology, Geochemistry, and Geobiology Atmospheric Science Chemical Oceanography Advisor: Tanja Bosak Advisor: Sai Ravela Advisor: Andrew Babbin Every single gift has an impact upon the • Theodore Richard Madden ’49 Fellowship strength of our department. Please consider Fund (3305800) — supports graduate students an annual gift to EAPS, or a major gift, or a gift in geology and geophysics through your estate plan. Become a member of the EAPS Patrons Circle by making a gift or • Sven Treitel ’53 Graduate Student Support pledge of $85,000 or more either to name a Fund (3312160) — supports graduate students SEE THE WORLD WITH EAPS FACULTY! graduate fellowship for an academic year or in geophysics and other disciplines to add to an existing endowed fellowship fund. Or endow your own named fellowship with Belize to Tikal: Reefs, Rivers and Family Adventure in a gift of $1M to help support one graduate Ruins of the Maya World the Galápagos student per year in perpetuity. Or make your March 5-13, 2019 August 2-11, 2019 gift to any EAPS fund: For a full list of EAPS funds, and to make a gift with Andrew Babbin with Andrew Babbin online, please visit: http://bit.ly/eaps-giving • EAPS Discretionary Fund (2734903) The Pride of South Africa: Namibia, Ancient Greece and the provides the most flexible support for EAPS. To make a gift of appreciated stock, to support Botswana, Zimbabwe Agean Isles (e.g. to seed new research, provide start-up our building campaign, or for other inquiries May 9-23, 2019 August 22-September 4, 2019 funds for new faculty, acquire equipment, or about giving opportunities, please contact with Rob van der Hilst with Richard P. Binzel pay for student enrichment activities) Angela Ellis, EAPS Senior Development Officer:

Arctic Expedition under Patagonia: W Trek in Torres • EAPS Graduate Student Support Fund 617.253.5796 | [email protected] the Midnight Sun de Paine (3857220) provides expendable funding for June 21-July 1, 2019 November 1-9, 2019 EAPS graduate students regardless of specialty, Or visit our website: with Ronald G. Prinn with Daniel J. Cziczo and can help leverage other student support https://eapsweb.mit.edu/giving-alumni

Exploring Iceland Journey to Antarctica • James L. Elliot Graduate Student Support July 23-August 2, 2019 December 7-20, 2019 Fund (3297565) – supports graduate students with Rob van der Hilst with Leigh Royden in planetary science Thank you for your continuing support for EAPS and MIT. All gifts are counted towards • M. Nafi Toksöz Fellowship Fund (3311750) — the MIT Annual Fund and the MIT Campaign supports graduate students in geophysics for a Better World.

LEARN MORE BY VISITING: alum.mit.edu/travel MIT Alumni Travel Program | 800-992-6749 | [email protected] EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | MIT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE 39 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 02139 CAMBRIDGE, MA PERMIT NO. 54016

The dramatic stratigraphy of Svalbard, Norway—viewed here by drone camera—spans a long Visit us on the web: time period (~1 billion years to ~460 million years ago in the Ordovician Period) and captures many different environments and climates in its layers: from extreme cold periods and global http://eapsweb.mit.edu glaciations to warm periods and deglaciations, as well as a rich fossil history preserving evidence of everything from microbial communities to larger complex marine animals.

Photo credit: Marjorie Cantine, the Bergmann Lab Follow us: facebook.com/EAPS.MIT twitter.com/eapsMIT instagram.com/mit_eaps