Geosciences 559 - Paleoceanography

This course is about the ancient ocean and its relationship with the atmosphere, appropriate for graduate students and advanced undergraduates with an interest in ocean and climate sciences. The course introduces students to the conceptual basis and application of proxies needed to understand how ocean circulation, water mass formation, water column structure, productivity, sea surface temperatures, and ocean chemistry have changed through time. We will consider the plate tectonic context of changing ocean basin configuration, the impact of submarine volcanism on seawater chemistry, fluctuations in sea level and atmospheric CO2, times of global warmth and other times of accelerated ice-sheet growth, orbitally-forced climate cyclicity, biotic response to global change, and abrupt events that punctuate the marine record. The course includes inquiry-based discussions with exercises drawn from authentic data, case studies, a research paper and oral presentation.

GEOLOGY 103 or GEOGRAPH 110 Undergraduate prerequisites: GEOL 103 or GEOGRAPH 110 or by instructor consent.