Course description

The evolution of ocean basins through the interplay between plate tectonics and climate controls, the production and distribution of marine sediments, global sea levels and patterns of ocean circulation. An understanding of these processes is vital to infer the distribution of marine resources, marine geohazards such as tsunami and to reconstruct past environmental conditions which are used to inform predictions of future climates. This course integrates sedimentological, paleontological, geophysical, geochemical and stratigraphic modelling techniques to explore these processes. It will explore the structure and bathymetry of ocean basins, marine sediment deposition from submarine fans to carbonate platforms and glacio-marine environments, and the chemical evolution of marine waters. Students are introduced to the use of marine fossils for paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic reconstruction of Cenozoic climates, including opening and closing oceanic gateways, thermohaline circulation and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. This course will explore these facets of marine geology and paleoceanography through guided practical exercises and a short fieldtrip to observe key indicators of sea level change such as fossil coral reefs.

Archived offerings