Course Description
Chronology and geomorphic, isotopic, and palynological evidence of Quaternary paleoclimates. The effects of past climatic changes upon present landscapes, historic short-term fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, and possible explanations for climatic change are emphasized.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Additional readings, assignments, and questions on tests.
Athena Title
Global Env Chg Past Present
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Successful completion of this course will provide the following learning outcomes: A basic understanding of the physical processes that operate in the earth/ocean/atmosphere system and how these affect regional variations in climate/environment An awareness of the changing nature of the earth's climate across a range of time scales and an understanding that in today’s climate we see only a snapshot of Earth history An understanding of the scientific methods that have been used to collect and analyze data on climate/environmental change and its impact on humanity A greater understanding of the importance of science in understanding the everyday functioning of our planet, and its crucial role in policy decision-making in view of global warming issues An understanding that because the earth’s landscapes are complex, being the products of processes that have varied with changing climate, they provide evidence of past conditions The realization that changes in global climate can have dire consequences for humans as they can induce droughts that are difficulty to cope with A understanding that climate is forever changing and that we must be prepared for it The understanding that past changes in climate are a way of assessing human influences on climate today The realization that climate change can be abrupt and not slow as previously thought The ability to think critically by assessing information on climate change in the past in relation to what is happening today The realization that the earth is fragile and constantly changing in ways we do not yet fully understand This course meets the following General Education Abilities by accomplishing the specific learning objectives listed below: Communicate effectively through writing. This is met by a series of writing assignments associated with supplemental reading and data analysis. Communicate effectively through speech. This is met by oral presentations, discussion leading, and classroom participation. Computer Literacy is addressed through course administration, student-faculty electronic interaction, and data analysis activities and assignments. Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and is developed through homework assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and inquiry- based learning efforts. Moral Reasoning (Ethics) is an important element of this course, as it explores linkages among physical environment, climatic variability, human activities, and past/future global environmental change. Moral reasoning is developed through lectures, writing assignments, classroom discussion, and inquiry-based learning activities.
Topical Outline
Introduction Ancient ice ages/climate during the Tertiary Classical Alpine glacial model/reality based on deep ocean cores Extent of glaciers and ice caps/dating Quaternary events Dating Quaternary events/marine sediments Ice cores Cave evidence Sea level changes Lake level changes Ancient sand dunes/The fluvial record Dendrochronology/dendroclimatology Microfossils and macrofossils Climate changes during the Holocene/period with instrument records Causes of climate change/Global warming Global climate models Regional climate records
Syllabus