PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
cod. 07474

Academic year 2015/16
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Paleontologia e paleoecologia (GEO/01)
Field
Attività formative affini o integrative
Type of training activity
Related/supplementary
42 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in - - -

Learning objectives

The course aims to provide students with the tools for addressing the classical issues or the most recent developments in paleoclimatology through the knowledge of the basic elements that allow the reconstruction and the development of the environments and of the paleoclimate in a chronological framework

Prerequisites

1) Earth’s modern climate and processes; 2) the broad details of Earth’s climate history and in particular for the
past 250 Ma; in detail the past 65 Ma 3) the main proxies used to reconstruct past climate; 4) the Greenhouse effect and role of the carbon cycle in Earth’s climate; 5) the role of ice sheets, ocean circulation, and orbital insolation on Earth’s climate; 6) changes in sea level related to climate change; 7) main characteristics of climate of the common era (last 2 ka)

Course unit content

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Full programme

The climate and climate change. The climate system. Surface and Deep Ocean Circulation, atmosphere-ocean interactions Archives and proxy for the paleoclimatic reconstructions. Oxygen and carbon Stable isotopes. Climate change at different time-scales: reconstruction of the climate of the Earth from Precambrian to Quaternary with particular focus on the main geological, biological and climatic events.

Bibliography

Earth's Climate- Ruddiman W.
'Paleoclimates: Understanding Climate Change Past and Present' by Thomas M. Cronin

Teaching methods

lessons

Assessment methods and criteria

oral test

Other information

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