CO2 and Milankovitch Mysteries (Spring 2024)
GEOL 5705 - Seminar in Paleoclimate
EPICA Dome C deuterium and CO2
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Lisiecki and Raymo (2005) benthic d18O stack
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"Ìý
- 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)
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Course description: This course will entail a weekly seminar-style critical reading of journal articles in paleoclimate (one paper per week, curated by the instructor). This year, we will focus on the causes of the ice ages: changes in Earth's orbit around the Sun, variations in atmospheric Greenhouse gases, and interactions between the two.
Expectations and grading: During the semester, each student will be required to lead the discussion of two papers. Each presenter will be selected one week ahead of time. 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. Presenters should encourage discussion by asking questions of the group. 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 12:20-1:10 pm, BESC 340D
Instructor:Tom Marchitto, tom.marchitto@colorado.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Credits: 1
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Course schedule (updated weekly)Ìý
We will only be discussing the papers with names assigned after them; any 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 broken
January 17: Organizational meeting and
January 24: Milankovitch confirmed?
(Rob)
January 31: Polar dominance
(Laurel)
February 7: Carbonate compensation
(Indigo)
February 14: Polar iron fertilization
(Briana)
February 21: Southern Ocean surface isolation
(Trish)
February 28: Separating the upper and lower cells
(Kiana)
March 6: Milankovitch progression through the climate system
(Tom)
March 13: Does ice volume drive CO2, or vice versa?
(Laurel)
March 20: It's the rate of ice volume change that matters
(Indigo)
April 3: Forget precession and eccentricity, it's obliquity
(Rob)
April 10: An orbital timescale for CO2
(Briana)
April 17: Isolating the ice volume component of benthic d18O
(Kiana)
April 24: The long view of CO2
(Trish)
May 1: Wrap-up discussion
Some other potential papers (TBD):