Geology

Revising Darwin’s sinking-island theoryNew study helps resolve a dispute over the origins of coral-reef formations.

Islands in the rainResearchers use volcanic islands to measure how rainfall sets the pace of landscape formation.

India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thoughtNew timeline suggests India’s size before this collision was much smaller than generally assumed.

Scientists find first evidence of dynamo generation on an asteroidA meteorite found in Antarctica holds evidence of a once-active dynamo on Vesta.

Sarah Stewart Johnson, EAPS PhD, gives rein to curiosityAlumna envisions combining academia with public policy

Newfound gene may help bacteria survive in extreme environmentsResulting microbial lipids may also signify oxygen dips in Earth’s history.

River networks on Titan point to a puzzling geologic historyFindings suggest the surface of Saturn’s largest moon may have undergone a recent transformation.

Oceans apartNew research suggests that ocean-crust formation is a dynamic process.

Greenhouse gas can find a home undergroundNew MIT analysis shows there’s enough room to safely store at least a century’s worth of U.S. fossil fuel emissions.

An eruption-fueled extinction?Enormous volcanic eruptions may have triggered the worst extinction in Earth’s history.

Timeline of a mass extinctionNew evidence points to rapid collapse of Earth’s species 252 million years ago.

The first hairy microbesNew fossils reveal oldest known ciliates.

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

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

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

Cold asteroids may have a soft heartPartially molten small bodies may be abundant in space, and may have given the Earth its oceans.

Seeing through the cracksIn the wake of Japan’s largest earthquake, MIT scientists look for geological clues to explain its devastating magnitude

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

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

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

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

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

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

A look back in timeBy linking the odd geometry of bacterial growths to photosynthesis, researchers may have a new way to study Earth’s oldest fossils.

Genes as fossilsMIT researchers discover the DNA responsible for creating fossil-like molecules found in ancient rocks.

Volcanic VenusNew research highlights recent volcanic activity on Venus, indicating that Earth’s sister planet is alive — geologically speaking

Figuring out where to put the carbonIf we plan to keep using fossil fuels, we need to figure out how to sequester the resulting carbon dioxide. New tools from MIT could help evaluate where to do it — and how to keep it contained.

A new day dawned fastRecovery from marine mass extinction happened much faster than thought, high-resolution research finds