In this class, we will explore how the ocean fits into the Earth system and learn how the ocean and Earth system have changed in response to internal and external forcing. Students will gain an appreciation for the systems perspective and will learn how paleoceanographers extract information about past ocean states using data and modeling approaches. Students interested in taking this class should contact the instructor for permission.

This special themes course will explore some of the mechanisms (physical, chemical, and biological) thorough, which the ocean operates, and how it influences climate on seasonal, inter-annual, and where applicable, glacial-interglacial times scales. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the relative importance of these processes and how they have varied through time, and the potential outcomes of human induced changes to these processes.

Many basic and applied questions in the Earth Sciences require detailed knowledge of the sub-surface properties and spatial distribution of stratigraphic layers. Core and well logging methods are extremely useful in the fields of paleoclimate, hydrogeology, engineering geology, oil and gas exploration, and environmental remediation. Students in this class will learn the theory behind a range of methods. They will gain hands on experience using magnetic susceptibility and reflectance methods to address real-world logging problems. Examples from a variety of fields will be presented.

Carbonates represent one of the most important classes of sedimentary rocks. They are important as records of biogenic evolution, particularly in marine settings; serve as reservoirs for oil, gas, and water, and are critical in the biogeochemical cycling of the Earth system. We will explore carbonates on the micro-, meso-, and megascopic scales to evaluate their role in the sedimentary record through time. Students will learn how to identify carbonate rocks and their constituent components, characteristics of ancient and modern carbonate depositional environments, and how to evaluate carbonate deposits in the context of a sequence stratigraphic framework placing emphasis on forcing and response.

This course provides a broad introduction to quantitative and statistical methods commonly used by research scientists. This objective will be accomplished through lectures, selected readings from the primary literature, and computer exercises built around existing climate and environmental data sets. Emphasis will be placed on developing an understanding of the concepts underlying various methods and gaining the insights needed to determine which tests are appropriate for a particular application or data set.

Faculty research presentations; thesis/dissertation proposal preparation; discussion of professional organizations, preparation of manuscripts and oral presentation of papers.