Unit name | Marine Micropalaeontology |
---|---|
Unit code | EASC30067 |
Credit points | 10 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1B (weeks 7 - 12) |
Unit director | Professor. Schmidt |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Completion of mandatory units in Year 1 and Year 2 of the relevant degree programme (Palaeontology and Evolution, Geology or Environmental Geoscience). |
Co-requisites |
N/A |
School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The aim of this unit is to introduce students to uncertainties in reconstructing past climates and limitations of the methods.
The unit will cover the biology and ecology of the main fossilised microfossil in the Cenozoic. It will introduce major biological approaches used to quantify and understand the Earth System. These include the use of microfossils in reconstructing paleo-temperatures, water depth, productivity and oxygen levels in the ocean.
These methods will be applied to major transitions in Earth history (e.g. Pliocene warmth, Paleocene-Eocene Boundary) and main drivers of climate change (temperature, oxygen, acidification).
On successful completion students will be able to:
Lectures and practicals
Coursework (100%)
The coursework will be a literature review report in the style of a review paper (2500 word maximum), on a topic that will be given to students at the beginning of the unit. Topics will be broad and incorporate the content of the course.
There is no individual book which provides the necessary comprehensive overview. Individual chapters of the recommended reading will provide a good background.
Recommended
Further reading will be provided in each lecture to complement the content.