Research Highlights
Geology & Geophysics Dept.
May 19, 2013
Scientists Explore Roots of Future Tropical Rainfall
Analysis of the Last Glacial Maximum sheds light on climate models' ability to simulate tropical climate change
SOURCE: News Release
May 6, 2013
The Black Sea is a Goldmine of Ancient Genetic Data
New Study Reconstructs the Past Ocean 'Paleome'
SOURCE: News Release
March 1, 2013
Fungi Flourish Below the Seafloor
Searching for life in the deep sea, scientists find surprises
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 22, 2013
The Synergy Project, Part II
More videos on collaborations among artists and scientists
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 15, 2013
The Synergy Project
A co-laboratory experiment among scientists and artists
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 8, 2013
Seismic Studies Capture Whale Calls
New software could reveal songs amid the sounds
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 1, 2012
Storms, Floods, and Droughts
The cycle that transports water around the Earth is intensifying
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 28, 2012
New Weather-Shifting Climate Cycle Revealed
You know El Niño—now meet the Pacific Centennial Oscillation
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 20, 2012
Deep-sea Detectives
Follow the trail to unravel a seafloor mystery
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 14, 2012
Deep-sea Vents Yield New Species
Scientists explore the Mid-Cayman Rise in the Caribbean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 31, 2012
Mentors for Budding Scientists
Young students get a taste of research at WHOI
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 24, 2012
Climate Change Spurred Fall of Ancient Culture
Weakening monsoons in India affected plants and people
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 5, 2012
A Serendipitous Seafloor Sample
Photo slideshow: How a pillow was transformed into a table
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 9, 2012
In Search of the Pink and White Terraces
WHOI vehicles help find landmarks lost in 1886 eruption
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 29, 2012
Pacific Islands May Become Refuge for Corals in a Warming Climate, Study Finds
SOURCE: News Release
March 15, 2012
To Catch a Hurricane
Makeshift devices collect sand transported by storm
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 15, 2012
Study Links Major Shifts in Indian Civilizations to Past Changes in Monsoon
SOURCE: News Release
March 9, 2012
Lessons from the 2011 Japan Quake
What have scientists learned about its cause and consequences?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 2, 2012
WHOI Receives $1Million from Keck Foundation for First Real-Time Seafloor Earthquake Observatory at Cascadia Fault
SOURCE: News Release
December 19, 2011
The Scientist Who Stays Out in the Cold
MIT/WHOI graduate student studies ice in a warming world
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 29, 2011
Cape-Able Workers Build Deep-Sea Devices
WHOI scientist teams with local organization for the disabled
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 14, 2011
Of Predators, Prey, and Petroleum
Do microscopic marine animals help bacteria degrade oil?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 2, 2011
All the Pretty Jellyfish
Video captures majestic migrations of Mastigias
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 30, 2011
Engineer Par Excellence: Donald Koelsch
A pioneer who helped revolutionize seagoing seismic instruments
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 21, 2010
Lessons from the Haiti Earthquake
Knowing how and where to rebuild can save lives
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 22, 2009
Should We Inject Carbon Dioxide into the Deep Ocean?
Study finds that some seafloor life may be harmed by high CO2 levels
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 4, 2009
Ocean Acidification: A Risky Shell Game
How will climate change affect the shells and skeletons of sea life?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 20, 2009
The Promise and Perils of Seafloor Mining
Can minerals be extracted from the seafloor without environmental impacts?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 22, 2009
Turning Carbon Dioxide Gas into Rock
Audio Slideshow: An MIT/WHOI student examines a fascinating natural process in Oman
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 2, 2009
The Hunt for Microbial 'Trojan Horses'
Should we beware of protists bearing pathogens?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 14, 2009
Noah's Not-so-big Flood
New evidence rebuts controversial theory of Black Sea deluge
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 13, 2009
Hurricane Hunter
Graduate student uncovers long-buried record of past storms
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 5, 2008
A Tale of Two Oceans, and the Monsoons
Tiny seafloor shells could reveal big clues to the forces that generate monsoons
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 3, 2008
Are Sea Squirts Crowding Out Scallops?
Invasive species is found on key shellfish habitat: eelgrass
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 17, 2008
The Spiral Secret to Mammal Hearing
... and other recent research findings by WHOI scientists
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 14, 2008
Deeply Submerged Volcanoes Blow Their Tops
Telltale rocks reveal evidence of a phenomenon scientists thought was impossible
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 7, 2008
Crack! A Lake Atop Greenland Disappears
Water penetrates thick ice, lubricating the base of glaciers
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 1, 2008
Antarctic Andrea
Opportunity knocks for a MIT/WHOI graduate student to join a polar expedition
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 25, 2008
Earth, Wind, and Fire in Antarctica
Scientists unravel a story inscribed in lava and written by the wind
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 15, 2008
Arctic Voyage Tests New Robots for Ice-covered Oceans
Putting untethered vehicles under the ice cap is one thing. Getting them back is another.
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 29, 2008
New System to Take Long Seafloor Cores Is Ready to Go
Tested at sea, the 'Long Corer' restores U.S. capacity to extract cores up to 45 meters (150 feet) long.
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 9, 2008
Earth's Moving Crust May Occasionally Stop
New Theoretical Model Suggests Plate Tectonics May Be On-Again, Off-Again Process
SOURCE: News Release
November 20, 2007
Plumbing the Plume That Created Samoa
A graduate student explores the magmatic origins of islands
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 14, 2007
New Wrinkles in the Fabric of the Seafloor
An overlooked seafloor feature may have a key role in the formation of new ocean crust
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 19, 2007
Summer Under Arctic Ice
A conversation with WHOI geophysicist Rob Reves-Sohn
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 12, 2007
Fragmented Structure of Seafloor Faults May Dampen Effects of Earthquakes
Studies of gravity fields suggest volcanism may smooth rough edges of tectonic plates
SOURCE: News Release
June 21, 2007
Explorers to Use New Robotic Vehicles to Hunt for Life and Hydrothermal Vents on Arctic Seafloor
Researchers will probe the Gakkel Ridge during expedition that begins on July 1
SOURCE: News Release
May 23, 2007
WHOI Geologists Compile Longest Ever Record of Atlantic Hurricane Strikes
Reconstruction Reveals that El Ni?o and the West African Monsoon Have Strongly Influenced Intense Hurricane Frequency
SOURCE: News Release
May 4, 2007
Deep Ocean Waters Don't Run Still
Can “sticky” isotopes help us measure how water flows deep in the ocean?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 20, 2007
The Lo-o-o-ng Core
The deeper you can sample the seafloor, the further back in time you can go
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 12, 2007
A Ridge Too Slow?
WHOI team collaborates on Chinese discovery expedition in Indian Ocean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 5, 2007
Cell-sized Thermometers
Can the shells of microscopic organisms be used to measure past deep-ocean temperatures?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 23, 2006
Scientists "See" New Ocean Floor Just Before and After It Is Created
SOURCE: News Release
November 6, 2006
A Rare Glimpse Into the Ocean's Crust
Exploring rocks' magnetic signals, a WHOI graduate student reconstructs how the seafloor forms
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 14, 2006
Undersea Vehicles to Study Formation of Gold and Other Precious Metals On the Pacific Ocean Floor
SOURCE: News Release
June 26, 2006
New Hybrid Deep-sea Vehicle Is Christened Nereus
Unique underwater vehicle is named in nationwide student contest
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 9, 2006
Into the 'Mouth of Hell'
A journey into the crater of an active volcano
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 25, 2006
To Catch an Erupting Volcano
Rapid mobilization team springs into action
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 15, 2006
Worlds Apart, But United by the Oceans
A conversation with geophysicist Jian Lin
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 15, 2006
A 'Book' of Ancient Sumatran Tsunamis
Historic Chinese cruise brings back clues to old earthquakes and new vent sites
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 24, 2006
One of the Greatest Volcanic Shows on Earth
Inside a crater, a scientist seeks clues to the formation of the vast Deccan Traps
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 28, 2006
Analyzing Ancient Sediments at Warp Speed
New X-ray fluorescence core scanner at Woods Hole reveals clues to Earth's past climate and history
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 15, 2005
Tracking an Ocean of Ice Atop Greenland
A conversation with geologist Sarah Das
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 27, 2005
Nafanua, Eel City, and the Crater of Death
A small but fast-growing volcano appears inside the crater of a mammoth underwater volcano off Samoa
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 11, 2005
The Once and Future Danube River Delta
Past changes in World Heritage site offer lessons for proposed river projects
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 21, 2005
Oceanographic Telecommuting
'Virtual' chief scientist directs a research cruise without leaving land
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 2, 2005
Rapid Response
Scientists scramble for rare opportunity to catch an underwater volcanic eruption in action
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 29, 2005
What Could a Tsunami Network Look Like in the Future?
WHOI engineers develop the next generation of ocean monitoring technologies
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 29, 2005
Throwing DART Buoys into the Ocean
Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) buoys are the foundation of warning network
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 29, 2005
Building a Tsunami Warning Network
Preparing for the next big wave is only partly about science
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 16, 2004
Rising Sea Levels and Moving Shorelines
New tools and techniques show promise for better predictions and decisions about coastline change
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 27, 2004
Realizing the Dreams of da Vinci and Verne
A diverse fleet of innovative deep-submergence vehicles heralds a new era of ocean exploration
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 23, 2004
A Unique Vehicle for a Unique Environment
New autonomous robots will pierce an ice-covered ocean and explore the Arctic abyss
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 3, 2004
Ears in the Ocean
Hydrophones reveal a whole lot of previously undetected seafloor shaking going on
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 30, 2004
Earthshaking Events
New research on land and sea reinvigorates hopes of forecasting where earthquakes are likely to occur
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 22, 2004
Peering into the Crystal Fabric of Rocks
When you get right down to it, earthquakes and volcanoes have atomic-scale causes
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 13, 2004
Earth's Complex Complexion
Expeditions to remote oceans expose new variations in ocean crust
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 5, 2004
Unraveling the Tapestry of Ocean Crust
Scientists follow a trail of clues to reveal the magmatic trickles and bursts that create the seafloor
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 22, 2004
Paving the Seafloor—Brick by Brick
New vehicles and magnetic techniques reveal details of seafloor lava flows
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 22, 2004
How the Isthmus of Panama Put Ice in the Arctic
Drifting continents open and close gateways between oceans and shift Earth's climate
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 5, 2004
Listening Closely to 'See' Into the Earth
A new national facility of cutting-edge seafloor seismographs probes Earth's interior
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 23, 2004
Moving Earth and Heaven
Colliding continents, the rise of the Himalayas, and the birth of the monsoons
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 30, 2004
If Rocks Could Talk...
The ion microprobe extracts hidden clues about our planet's history and evolution
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 30, 2004
The Engine that Drives the Earth
Peering into the mantle to reveal the inner working of our planet
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 30, 2004
Conduits Into Earth's Inaccessible Interior
Hot plumes surfacing from deep within the planet bring up telltale chemical clues about the mantle.
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 1, 2000
Seafloor to Surface to Satellite to Shore
Moored buoys offer potential for continuous, real-time observations anywhere in the ocean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1998
Hitting the Hotspots
New Studies Reveal Critical Interactions Between Hotspots and Mid-Ocean Ridges
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1998
The Cauldron Beneath the Seafloor
Percolating Through Volcanic Subsurface Rocks, Seawater is Chemically Transformed into Hydrothermal Fluid
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1998
ALISS in Wonderland
Imaging ambient light at deep-sea hydrothermal vents
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 1, 1998
Discovery of "Megamullions" Reveals Gateways Into the Ocean Crust and Upper Mantle
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 1, 1998
Mid-Atlantic Ridge Volcanic Processes
How Erupting Lava Forms Earth's Anatomy
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 1, 1998
Exploring The Global Mid-Ocean Ridge
A Quarter-Century of Discovery
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 1, 1998
A Current Affair
A New Seafloor Technique Measures Electrical Conductivity Deep Within the Earth
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1997
Monsoon Winds and Carbon Cycles in the Arabian Sea
One of the most significant natural phenomena that influences the everday life of more than 60 percent of the world's population
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1997
Ground-Truthing the Paleoclimate Record
Sediment Trap Observations Aid Paeoceanographers
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1997
Marine Snow and Fecal Pellets
The Spring Rain and Food to the Abyss
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 1, 1997
The Magnetic Thickness Of A Recent Submarine Lava Flow
Data Collected by Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1996
Sedimentary Record Yields Several Centuries of Data
The Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period in the Sargasso Sea