Catalog Number: 1052
Number of Credits: 3
The goal of this course is to present an overview of the methods used to reconstruct the earth's climate history and the techniques used to determine the timing of environmental changes. Paleoclimate data from proxy records, such as ice cores or tree rings, provides a longer perspective on climatic variability than is possible from instrumental or historical records. Particular emphasis will be given to the climatic changes during the late Cenozoic - the time of the ice ages. Topics to be discussed will include: paleoclimatic reconstruction, climate and climatic variation, dating methods, ice cores, marine sediments and corals, lake sediments, spelothems, soils, pollen analysis, dendrochronology, documentary data, and paleoclimate models.Offered alternate years during spring term. Lecture 3 hours.
Course prerequisites
GEOL 0800, 0820, or 0860. [EG EEG EES]