Quaternary Paleoclimatology
Geosc 497B
Spring 1999 Class Syllabus
 
Tentative Lecture Schedule:  
Week Beginning                                 Topic                                                      Reading
Jan 11 Organization/Neogene 163-174, Miller 1987
Jan 18 Miocene Green-Ice house transition Flower and Kennett
Jan 25 Pliocene to Pleistocene transition Wright
Feb. 1 Milankovitch and climate 174-186, Imbrie, Berger
Feb. 8    Problem Set #1 Time pieces 123-161
Feb. 15 Terrestrial records 19-51, Grande Pile
Feb. 22 Paleo precipitation records 52-59, lake levels
Mar 1, Midterm Exam AGCM's (Pollard) McGuffie, Climate primer
March 8  Spring Break
March 15  The last interglacial + OGCM Winograd, CLIMAP, Seidov
March 22 Greenland and Antarctic ice core records Broecker 62-78 and 186-220
March 29, Term Papers Due March 30 Polar temperature records Jouzel and Cuffey
April 5 Interhemispheric teleconnections Broecker 220-240, Blunier 1998
April 12  Problem Set #2 Tropical SST Dilema Stute, Guildersen
April 19 Holocene Stability Bond, Alley
April 26 The last 2000 years Mann, Overpeck
May 3 Final Presentations

Term Paper:
 The largest portion of your grade will be based on a single term paper.  The paper can cover any topic of your choice as long as it is  not your thesis topic. All topics will need to be cleared with me before  you begin.  Papers will be less than 10 pages of text (double spaced)  not including figures and references.

 You will turn in the paper before 30 March (at 1700).  I will grade you on this draft as well as the final draft which you will turn in  on 30 April. Your final  grade will be dropped by 1/2 a letter grade for each day you delay  beyond 30 March and 30 April.

  On April 12, I will return my comments for a rewrite.  Final  manuscript is due on 30 April.

 During the last week of class, you will give a 30 minute oral  presentation of your manuscript and entertain questions.  We will meet before the presentation to discuss your presentation.  I'll suggest revisions to your proposed presentation which you will then present.  I will also meet with each of you to discuss your presentations after the fact.


 The final course grade will be compiled as follows:
  15%  - Class discussions
  15%  - Problem Sets
  20%  - Midterm
   15%  -  First Draft of term paper
  15%  - Final Draft of term paper
  20%  - Final presentation