PALEOCLIMATOLOGY (G690)
A 1-credit seminar course for Spring Semester 2003/2004

Simon Brassell
Department of Geological Sciences
GY313 Geology Building
simon@indiana.edu; 855-3786

Course Context and Scope:
1. The rapidly emerging field of paleoclimatology encompasses
measurement, assessment, interpret-ation, and explanation of the
patterns and processes of climate change throughout Earth history.
2. This seminar will explore the principles and application of a
variety of tools employed in the assessment of climate in the
geological record, including ocean sediments, lake sediments, ice
cores and other natural archives.
3. The focus of the introductory presentations in the seminar will be
on the fundamental characteristics of the Earth?s modern climate
system and paleoclimate proxies
4. Subsequent discussion sessions will focus on critical assessment of
selected readings from the literature on investigations of
paleoclimate and/or evidence for climate change during various
intervals of Earth?s history

Fundamental Questions:
1. What natural archives attest to the climatic history of Earth?
2. Which chemical, isotopic or paleontological constituents record
climatic signatures and why?
3. How can these preserved signals of ancient climates be determined?
4. What knowledge can be learnt from these proxies for climate change?
5. Which specific clues do they provide about Earth?s past climate?
6. What forcing factors for climate change can be proposed, tested and
verified?

Learning Objectives
1. To develop an understanding of the nature, scale and variety of
climate records, especially:
o Temporal and spatial scales of climate change
o Critical intervals of earth history.
2. To comprehend the ability of proxies to unravel the Earth?s climate
history, especially:
o Paleontology: indicator species and assemblages
o Geochemistry: 13C and 18O, alkenones, Cd, Mg/Ca ratios.
3. To recognize and understand the extent of knowledge of Earth?s
climatic history
o Detailed records for the Quaternary.
o Specific intervals of climate change or significance.
o Long-term climate trends.
4. To help build a comprehensive knowledge of Earth?s climate history
and a familiarity with key reference articles.

Format
1. Weekly meetings that variously combine the three central themes:
o Introduction to the fundamental principles of paleoclimatotology.
o Interpretation of climatic records from illustrative data sets.
o Elucidation of the nature of climate change and its causes.
2. Written assignments that address issues of data assessment,
integration and comparison.
o Critical evaluation of recent paleoclimate publications.
o Summative writings on topics and conclusions of selected papers.

Course Details
1. G690, one credit hour (Section 2755); Time: and Venue: TBA.
2. Expectations and Requirements for the Course:
o Active participation in discussions based on knowledge of the
assigned readings.
Written critical evaluations of selected papers for discussion.
o Review paper and presentation on individual chosen topics, or as
a collective class project.
Drafts due week after Spring break.
3. Recommended texts:
o Paleoclimatology, Crowley and North (Oxford, 1991)
o Principles of Paleoclimatology, Cronin (Columbia, 1999)
o Interpreting Pre-Quaternary Climate from the Geological Record,
Parrish (Columbia, 1998)
o Research articles and other readings from books as selected.
Provisional Sequence of Topics for Class Meetings:
Weeks 1-2: Discussion of class objectives and the Earth?s modern
climate system.
o Introduction to principles and objectives in paleoclimatology.
o Focus: What factors control and change climates?
o Resources: Recommended texts (see above).
Weeks 3-5: Exploration of methods for paleoclimatic assessment.
o Role of different climate archives: marine and lacustrine
sediments, ice cores, corals.
o Paleoclimate proxies: Assessment methods for temperatures,
salinity, precipitation, etc.
o Focus: What samples are studied? How are paleoclimates measured?
What methods are used?
o Resouces: Recommended texts (see above) and benchmark papers.
Weeks 6-8: Quaternary records of climate.
o Glaciations, atmospheric gases and Earth?s orbital cycles.
o Climatic perturbations and cycles: Heinrich events, Younger
Dryas, Eemian
o Focus: What climate changes occur on millennial time scales?
o Resources: Heinrich; Bard et al.; Broecker; etc.
Weeks 9: Eocene/Oligocene cooling leading to Neogene climates
o Relationship to opening of Drake Passage and/or Tasman Strait and
formation of Himalayas
o Focus: What is the role of gateways or tectonics as triggers for
climate change?
o Resources: Savin; Kennett et al.; Toggweiler et al.; Raymo et al.
Week 10: Episodes of Extreme Warmth
o Timing and persistence of the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum.
o Focus: What role do CH4 emanations play in climate change? When
were they influential?
o Resources: Dickens et al.; Zachos et al.
Weeks 11-12: Cretaceous Climates.
o Cretaceous greenhouse worlds and ocean dynamics
o Focus: How warm was the Cretaceous? What were CO2 levels through
the mid-Cretaceous?
o Resources: Baron et al.; Poulsen et al; Leckie et al.; Norris et
al.; Bice et al.; etc.
Week 13: Snowball Earth
o Continental configurations, atmospheric CO2, features of cap
carbonates.
o Focus: What is the evidence for a frozen Earth? What were the
evolutionary consequences?
o Resources: Kirschvink et al.; Evans et al.; Hoffman et al.,
Schrag et al.; etc.
Week 14: Present and Future Climate Change
o Scenarios for global warming, future ice ages, vegetation and
species extinctions.
o Focus: How frequent are El Niņo events? Can climate change be
modeled and predicted?
o Resources: Climate change volumes.