GEO 5675 - Paleoclimate Reconstruction

Meets with GEO 6675. Paleoclimatology, the study of past climate states and climate change, is fundamental to understanding and predicting recent and future changes in Earth's climate. This course will explore how paleoclimatologists reconstruct and understand past climate through the investigation of biological, hydrological, and sedimentalogical archives. The course combines letures with reading and discussion of the recent literature, and will emphasize informed, critical evaluation of paleoclimate data and illustration of multi-disciplinary approaches to significant problems in contemporary paleoclimatology. Although no formal prerequisites are required, introductory-level familiarity with inorganic and organic chemistry, biology, and calculus will benefit students in the class.