Past Climate Extremes (Spring 2022)
GEOL 5705 - Seminar in PaleoclimateÌý
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Phanerozoic ocean temperatures from Scotese et al. (2021)
Smithsonian Phantastic exhibit. ÌýSee larger version.
Marchitto's seminar courses (archived)
Most are Geological Sciences courses with titles like "Seminars in Paleoclimate". ÌýAsterisks* denote courses titled "Super-Problems in Quaternary Climate"
- CO2 and Milankovitch Mysteries (Spring 2024)
- Greenhouse Forcings and Feedbacks (Spring 2023)
- Past Climate Extremes (Spring 2022)
- Presenter's Choice (Spring 2021)
- Rapid Warming, Ocean Acidification, and Anoxia: Lessons from the Past (Spring 2019)
- Paleoclimate Landmarks and Heroes (Spring 2017)
- Paleoclimate Contributions to the 5th IPCC Report (Fall 2015)
- Glacial-Interglacial CO2* (Spring 2014)
- Glacial Ocean Circulation* (Spring 2010)
- Glacial-Interglacial CO2* (Fall 2008)
- Warm Periods of the Earth's Past (Spring 2007)
- Rapid Climate Change: Holocene to Anthropocene (Spring 2005)
- Recent Developments in Rapid Climate Change Research (Spring 2003)
Course description: This course will entail a weekly seminar-style critical reading of journal articles in paleoclimate (one paper per week). This year, papers may address any time interval and any aspect of Earth's climate system, but with a focus on extreme states from the Cretaceous to present.
Expectations and grading: During the semester, each student will be required to lead the discussion of several papers. Each presenter will be selected two weeks ahead of time so that they have one week to choose a paper (in consultation with the instructor) and inform the class. Papers may be presented informally and with or without visual aids, according to the presenter's preference. The presenter should touch on the paper's main Problem, Claim, Evidence, and Uncertainties. Each week, everyone is responsible for reading the paper and participating in the discussions. Readers should also identify and share one part of the paper that they had trouble understanding. Grades will be based on overall participation (50%) and on the effort put into the presentations and discussion-leading (50%).
Meets: Wednesdays 9:30-10:20, SEEC S149, but via Zoom for the first two weeks and as necessary thereafter
or use Zoom meeting ID: tmarchitto (see class email for password)
Instructor:, tom.marchitto@colorado.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Credits: 1
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Course schedule (updated weekly)
We will only be discussing the papers with names assigned after them; the others are for background. Note that most of the links below must be accessed from a campus computer or via a CU VPN. Refresh your browser if links are missing or dead.
January 19: The long view of CO2 knobs
(Tom)
January 26: Cretaceous Ocean Anoxic Events
(Robert)
February 2: No class (snow day)
February 9: Cretaceous warmth
(Eva)
February 16: K-Pg boundary
(Hayley)
February 23: Cenozoic evolution
(Jessica)
March 2: PETM
(Will)
March 9: Eocene-Oligocene boundary
(Robert)
March 16: Mid Miocene Climatic Optimum
(Eva)
March 23: No Class: Spring Break
March 30: Last ice age Dansgaard-Oeschger events
(Hayley)
April 6: Younger Dryas
(Jessica)
April 13: Ice age CO2 cycles
(Tom)
April 20: Deglaciation
(Will)
April 27: Back to the long view
Read only section 2 ("Simulation methodology") of
Then explore the simulations at . Choose something interesting that you'd like to share with the class (the two figures at the top of this course page may be helpful guides to different past climate states). Think critically about how much we should 'believe' (i.e., what uncertainties are there?).