Stockholm university
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Paleoceanography and marine geology

The course addresses the history and workings of the ocean-climate system in the geologic past to today with regard to geology, circulation, chemistry, biology and patterns of marine sedimentation.

Students looking over a sediment core.
Illustration by Robyn O'Regan.

Topics: Marine sediments, their correlation and time scales; the basics of the modern climate system including ocean and atmosphere circulation, the hydrosphere, cryosphere and biogeogeochemical cycles; physical, chemical and biological proxy tools; trends and events in the evolution of the ocean- and atmosphere systems over the past 150 million years.

Welcome to the course Palaeoceanography and Marine Geology. Please note there will not be a field excursion associated with this course.

  • Course structure

    Teaching format

    Lectures: On site lectures, exercises, set readings and practical work.

    Excursion

    There will not be a field excursion this year.

    Assessment

    Knowledge assessment and examination will be in the form of a written examination, completion of set exercises and written/oral assessment of a final project.

    Grading will be as follows:

    • A = Excellent
    • B = Very good
    • C = Good
    • D = Satisfactory
    • E = Sufficient
    • Fx = Insufficient
    • F = Entirely insufficient

    The assessment criteria will be outlined at the start of the course. To pass the course, a minimum grade E is necessary.

  • Schedule

    The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course.
  • Course literature

    Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.

    The recommended text book is:

    W.F. Ruddiman, 2017
    Earth's Climate: Past and Future 3rd ed
    W.H. Freeman
    ISBN: 9781319154004

    The content in the book is extremely relevant to this course and will be an excellent companion to the course to deepen your learning and help explain concepts. However, the Chapter order of the book is different to how this course is arranged and we will not follow it closely.

  • Course reports

    Course evaluations allow the possibility to affect and take responsibility for your own learning and gives important information for our work with pedagogical development.

    It's important that all students complete the course evaluations after each course, it gives the Department the opportunity to improve the courses' quality.

    The course evaluation is composed of a number of questions and specific questions for each course. If you, as a student, want to contribute with more course specific questions you may send them to studies@geo.su.se.

    If you haven't received the course evaluation for your finished course, or if you have other questions regarding course evaluations at IGV please contact studies@geo.su.se.

    Course evaluation = student's review of the course
    Course report = course leader's reflections about the review

  • Meet us

    Hellen takes a selfi on a private boat, Stockholm

    "Earth is our home. There is no second planet we can escape to if life on Earth becomes too difficult. Earth may seem vast and robust but what you learn from studying it’s geological history is that its various ocean, ice, climate and biological systems, upon which we depend for food, jobs and safe stable places to live, is fragile."

    Helen Coxall is a senior lecturer in marine micropaleontology, she teaches two courses at the undergraduate level.

    Read the article

  • Contact