¥ Carbon Isotopes, the Carbon Cycle and Climate (Eart 290E); Winter 93 - Dr. Christina Ravelo and I organized and taught a topical seminar on stable carbon isotopes the global carbon cycle designed to examine the natural abundance's of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere (CO2 and CH4), oceans, lakes, rivers, biota, rocks, soils, and sediments. The course explores the many processes which cycle and fractionate carbon isotopes. This course also addresses the methods used to reconstruct carbon isotope distributions in ancient environments for the purpose of evaluating past changes in the global carbon cycle.
¥ Integrative Marine Stratigraphy: Concepts and Applications (Eart 269); Spring 93 - This is a graduate level course that examines the integration and practical applications of modern techniques in marine stratigraphy. Students are assigned several projects including a graphic correlation project which requires the collection, processing, and integration of various stratigraphic data.
¥ Oceanography (Eart 1); Fall 93-99 - This course introduces students to the basic principles of oceanography. Emphasis is on topics dealing with the oceans role in global climate change.
¥ Graduate Research Seminar (Eart 293); Winter 94, 95 - Once a week, three students give 15 to 20 minute presentations on their current or anticipated research activities. The seminar is intended to increase awareness of the broad scope of research in the Earth Sciences.
¥ Stable Isotope Geochemistry (Eart 128); Spring 94, 97 - This course explores the theory and concepts of classical stable isotope geochemistry (H/D, C, N, O, S). Students learn about the natural abundances of stable isotopes on the earth's surface as well as about the processes responsible for isotope fractionation. They also study how isotopes are used to understand processes in chemistry, biology, and geology. Students are assigned weekly problem sets. They must also write a research proposal involving the application of stable isotope geochemistry.
¥ Stratigraphy/Sedimentology (Eart 120); Spring 95 - This course provides students with the basic principles of Stratigraphy and Sedimentology including, sedimentary mechanics, analysis and interpretation of facies and depositional systems. Students are also introduced to basin analysis, seismic facies, and chemostratigraphy. The course includes 4 one day field exercise.
¥ Marine Stratigraphy (Eart 123); Winter 97 - This course provides in-depth coverage of modern stratigraphic techniques as applied to marine sediments with particular emphasis on pelagic and hemipelagic sediments. The course will examine fundamental principles, methods of data collection and signal processing, as well as the integration of techniques. Topics include biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, seismic stratigraphy, orbital (cyclic) stratigraphy, graphic correlation, and spectral analysis. Practical application of techniques is explored within the context of Mesozoic and Cenozoic Paleoceanography. Problem sets assigned biweekly.
¥ Tectonism, Volcanism, and Global Climate Interactions: An Earth History Perspective (Eart 290T); Spring 96 - Weekly readings and presentations of papers that examine the interaction between tectonic and volcanic processes and the global climate system on long time scales. The course focuses on how these processes have altered Earth's primary "boundary conditions" including; continental geography and topography, ocean gateways, sealevel, and greenhouse gas levels.
¥ Dynamics, Proxies, and Sediment Record of Atmospheric Circulation, Ocean Upwelling and Export Production (Eart 290T); Spring 97 - Weekly readings and presentations of papers that examine the sediment record of coastal upwelling and export production as influenced by climatic and tectonic forces. We will begin with papers that deal with the dynamics of wind driven coastal upwelling and its role in nutrient cycling and productivity. We will then move on to papers that investigate how signals of atmospheric circulation and upwelling are transferred to and preserved in marine sediments. This will include several papers that examine the application of sediment magnetism to reconstructing aeolian sedimentation, carbon fluxes, and bottom water redox conditions. We will finish with a series of papers that examine the history of coastal upwelling (w/ particular emphasis on California/African margins) in the context of regional tectonic and climatic change, and its effects on the global carbon/nutrient cycles.
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