Atmosphere and Oceans. Seawater composition, properties and behaviour. The oceans. Ocean circulation. Oceanographic expeditions, instruments and techniques. Phytoplankton and primary production. Techniques of collection, preparation and analysis of samples. Calcareous phytoplankton: applications in biostratigraphy and paleoceanography. Geochemical tracers, biological tracers and biomarkers as paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic proxies. The climatic history of Paleogene.
Summerhayes C.P. & Thorpe S. A. 2002 Oceanography, an illustrated guide. Manson Publishing; Open University Course Team 2002. Ocean circulation, Seawater, The Open University S330 vol. 2-3; Bolli H.M., Saunders J.B. & Perch-Nielsen K. (1985): Plankton Stratigraphy. Cambridge University press; Fossil Prokaryotes and Protists. Blackwell Scientific publications; Stoll H.M. & Ziveri P. 2004. Coccolithophorid-based geochemical paleoproxies. In Coccolithophores Thierstein and Young (Ed.), 529-563. Springer;
Proxies in Late Cenozoic paleoceanography, Hillaire-Marcel C. & De Vernal A. (Eds) 2007 Elsevier.
Learning Objectives
Integrate data for the reconstruction of ocean history and the interpretation of the marine sedimentary record. Provide the basics of the most important paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic proxies.
Learning the use of calcareous phytoplankton for the study of marine sediments, and how to reconstruct past environmental conditions and changes. Preparation and laboratory techniques.
Prerequisites
Paleontology and Geology courses
Teaching Methods
Lectures and laboratory preparation techniques. Practical determination and identification of calcareous phytoplancton. Field-work.
Type of Assessment
Practical and oral test
Course program
Atmosphere and Oceans. Seawater composition, properties and behaviour. The oceans. Ocean circulation. Oceanographic expeditions, instruments and techniques. Deep sea sediments. Distribution of marine organisms in the Ocean and sediments. Microfossils useful as tracers of past oceanic environments. Phytoplankton and primary production. Coccolithophores and calcareous nannofossils. Sampling, preparation techniques and analysis of samples. Applications in biostratigraphy and paleoceanography. Geochemical and biological tracers, and biomarkers as paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic proxies (d18O, d13C, Alkenones Mg/Ca, Ca/Ba, Mn,, 187Os/186Os, Cd/Ba)
The climatic history of Phanerozoic: hyperthermal events of the Paleogene.