Planet earth is a monument to the magnificent complexity that can arise from interactions among physical, chemical, and biological processes. Understanding the nature of these interactions is one of the grand challenges for science, and will require the coordinated efforts of scientists and engineers from what are traditionally distinct disciplines. The Earth System Initiative serves as a focus for the next generation of interdisciplinary research on this profound challenge at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Through these collaborations, we are helping develop the scientific perspectives that will inform perceptions about the future of our planet and our role in that future., The MIT Earth System Initiative is a research and educational enterprise that cuts across environmentally-oriented disciplines such as geology, atmospheric science, oceanography, biology, chemistry, and environmental engineering. |