Paleoceanography
Class Schedule and Reading Assignments
Part 1- the Ocean’s Role in Climate
1 The
Earth Systems Approach
Chapter
1
(Aug 26 & 28)
2-3 Radiative
Forcing
and the Atmosphere
Chapter
2 from the 1st edition
(Sept 2 is
Labor day – no class )
of
the text & lecture notes
Sept 4 and 9
(www/whfreeman.com/ruddiman2e)
2-3 Climate
Recorders
Chapter
2, 2nd edition
(Sept 9 and 11)
4
Wind-Driven
Circulation
Handouts,
TBA
(Sept 16 and 18)
5-6 Density-Driven
Circulation
Handouts,
TBA
(Sept 23, 25 & 30)
Midterm 1 and Term
paper topics and outline
due – Oct 2 class period
Part 2-
Paleoceanographic Data- A
case studies approach
7-12
(Oct 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30; Nov
4, 6)
Nov 11 is Veteran’s day – no class)
13 Midterm
2
and First Draft of Term Paper – Nov 13 class period
In this
section of the class we will study interesting case
histories of past worlds
reconstructed through the use of a variety of
paleoceanographic data (e.g.
physical properties of sediments, microfossils, and
geochemical tracers). We
will select five of the following topics and explore each
for a one-week period
using the class text and readings from the
literature as a guide:
The
Snowball Earth
Mountains
and Climate
Polar
Amplification of Climate
Of
Monsoons and People
The
Mid-Pleistocene Revolution
Climate
Gateways
Abrupt
Climate Change
Ice
Free Worlds
Readings: Selected
from the class text, handouts provided by the
instructor, and provided
by student group leaders selected for each topic.
Part 3-
Paleoceanographic Modeling –
Simulating Lost Worlds Weeks 14-15
14 Classes
of models, Analytical and Box Models
Chapter
3 & handouts
(Nov
25; Nov 27 is
start of Thanksgiving
Break – no class)
Energy
Balance Models and GCMs – Past and Future worlds
Chapter 3 & handouts
15 (Dec
2)
15
Midterm
3- Dec 4 class period
*Readings from
Ruddiman unless otherwise
noted. Any changes to the readings will be announced in
class or posted to the
website.
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