Paleoceanography and climate

This course is available as a single course. Students at M-GEO have priority to this course.

The course aims to give an understanding of the causes of natural climate change during the Earth's history. This provides a crucial understanding of ongoing climate change and improves future projections. It is focused on periods characterized by major and abrupt climate changes, including abrupt warmings, with focus on the Quaternary. Systematic treatment is given of different geological methods used for reconstructing the marine paleoenvironment and climate history. This includes methods and interpretations based on physical, geochemical and biological data, as well as dating methods and stratigraphy. Special attention is given to different groups of microfossils, their use in paleoceanography and climate reconstruction as well as various traditional and novel geochemical proxies. Some of these methods are also used in the fields of oceanography and/or environmental pollution monitoring. The course also includes an exciting opportunity for marine-based fieldwork on a research vessel with sampling in the Tromsø area.

Admission to the master’s program in geosciences requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification (180 ECTS) in geosciences. In addition, specialization in geology, geophysics, or equivalent of at least 80 ECTS is required. Applicants must have a minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian "C" (2.5) in the ECTS scale, see the UiT webpage for international admissions for more information on how the point average is calculated.

Application code: 9371.

Knowledge

The student has

• knowledge and understanding of the causes, impacts and rates of natural climate and oceanographic changes in the past.
• knowledge of the present change in climate and oceanography compared to past natural changes.
• knowledge of the different types of methods that are used in paleoclimate/paleoceanography studies, including the dating of paleoclimatic records. These methods include: microfossil groups such as e.g., foraminifera, physical properties such as e.g., grain sizes, and geochemical methods such as the elemental and isotopic composition of microfossils.

Skills

The student can

• handle and process samples of a selected marine deep-sea sediment core from the Nordic Seas applying some of the methods described above.
• conduct marine fieldwork with a research vessel (e.g., R/V Helmer Hanssen) with retrieval of sediment cores (gravity cores).
• conduct water column sampling such as plankton tows and surface sediment sampling for live benthic foraminifera.
• use field and lab data to make comprehensive paleoclimatic/-oceanographic interpretation and discuss the results.

General competences

The student can

• carry out the most important elements of marine geological research projects: penetrating literature, carrying out field research, analyzing data, and communicating results to fellow students/scientists.
• understand the specific use of biological (e.g., marine microfossils), geochemical and physical methods in reconstruction of past changes in the climate-ocean system, and beyond.
• read, write and present scientific results.

Anbefalte forkunnskaper

GEO-2003 Quaternary geology and glaciology, GEO-2010 Marine Geosciences, GEO-2020 Marine geosciences

If you pass the examination in this course, you will get an reduction in credits (as stated below), if you previously have passed the following courses:

• GEO-3111 Reconstructing Quaternary Marine Climate and Environments 5 ects
• GEO-3122 Micropalaeontology 5 ects

The course includes:

• 24 hours of lectures with significant student engagement component,
• 40 hours of practical exercises with study of a marine sediment core using various biological, geochemical and physical proxies.
• Reports must be written about results of the sediment core study based on the proxies presented during lectures and the practical exercises. Fieldwork comprises a marine cruise with a research vessel (likely R/V Helmer Hanssen) to learn about marine sampling techniques. The students may also use the materials they collected themselves in the lab exercises. Cruise reports to be made by students.

Language of instruction and examination

Schedule

This course is open to incoming exchange students.

Study Level: Master's

Prerequisites:
To take this course, you must first meet the requirements listed in the “Admission requirements” section above.

Important note for GEO courses:

If you come from a university that has a direct exchange agreement with the Department of Geosciences (GEO) at UiT, you may be allowed to take master’s-level GEO courses (course codes 3000–4000) even if you have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree or earned 180 ECTS credits.

For details on how to apply for exchange, course selection guidelines, or to contact the Incoming Admissions Team, please visit: Admissions for Student Exchange.

More info about the coursework requirements

To take the examination, the student must have passed the following coursework requirements:

Participation in cruise

HSE Training given before cruise

1 Cruise report

2 laboratory reports

12 exercises

More info about the oral exam

Re-sit examination