Syllabus
1. Introduction; basic terminology; definition of the subject and its place in modern science; actual research trends
2. The basic information package: oceanic realms through time - evolution; water circulation regimes; seawater chemistry; interaction ocean - atmosphere
3. Oceans and climate change: a basic overview of interactions between oceans and climate change and vice versa.
4. Basic research methods: fossil vs. recent material; traditional methods (paleontology, sedimentology, biostratigraphy, biology) vs. geochemical methods
5. Different environments and their attributes: open ocean vs. enclosed basins etc.
6. An example of the selected method - stable isotopes in marine organisms
7. An example of the selected method - element ratios in marine organisms
8. Uniqueness of paleoceanography in geological time I - quaternary + recent research
9. Uniqueness of paleoceanography in geological time II - climax ecosystems (Jurassic + Cretaceous)
10. Uniqueness of paleoceanography in geological time III - tertiary (with emphasis on the Mediterranean-Paratethys marine system)
11. Geochemical methods in practise
12. How to interpret very basic paleoceanographical data. Practical sessions: preparation of samples, virtual data interpretation, evaluation of results
Annotation
This course represents a complex overview of palaeoceanography - the first part of this course discusses basic theory such as the evolution of oceans through time, seawater chemistry, thermohaline circulation and relationship between oceans and climate change. The second part is focused on commonly used methods and science techniques in palaeoceanography. Lastly, the course deals with the specificity of paleoceanographical research in several selected geological periods.
This course is primarily for master and Ph.D. students. The course will take place only with a sufficient number of applicants (min. 3).