GEOL 4150: Paleoclimatology
(Dual-listed with GEOL 5150/ ENSCI 5150).
(Cross-listed with ENSCI 4150).
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Introduction to mechanisms that drive climate, including the interplay between oceanic and atmospheric circulation and fluctuation in Earth's orbital parameters. Examination and analysis of past climate records ranging from historical documentation to ecological and geochemical proxies (e.g. tree ring analysis; O and C isotopes of skeletal carbonates and soils). Dating methods used to constrain and correlate climatic periods; utility of computer models to reconstruct past climates and predict future climate change. Emphasis placed on paleoclimatology and paleoecology of the late Quaternary (last ~1 million years). Offered even-numbered years. (Typically Offered: Fall)