Updated May 5, 2009 11:13 PM

Lecture Schedule - Spring 2009
 
Many reserve readings accessible on CourseWorks
#
Date
 Day
Lecture
 Professor
1
Jan. 20
 T

The Floor of the Ocean (bathymetry, physiographic provinces and crustal structure within Plate Tectonics context) The Floor of the Ocean powerpoint File

Download and get familiar with GeoMapApp application (http://www.geomapapp.org) and Google Earth application(http://earth.google.com/)

Reading

  • Seibold, E. and Berger, W.H., 1993. Chapter 1 in The Seafloor, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 15-24.
  • Menard, H. W. 1960. The East Pacific Rise, Science, v. 132, pp. 1739-1746.
  • Vogt, P. R. and Tucholke, B. E., 1986. Imaging of the Ocean Floor: History and State of the Art. In
  • Vogt and Tucholke (eds), The Geology of North America, v. M, The Western North Atlantic Region, Geological Society of America, p. 19-44.
 Ryan
2
Jan. 22
 Th

Ocean Floor Age Distribution, Depth Relationships, Sediment Thickness & Global Patterns within Plate Tectonics context Ocean Floor Age Distribution powerpoint File

Reading

  • Seibold, E. and Berger, W.H., 1993. Chapter 1 in The Seafloor, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 32-40.
  • Pitman, W. C., III, and J. P. Heirtzler, 1966. Magnetic anomalies over Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, Science, v. 154, pp. 1164-1171.
  • Roest, W. R., Danobietia, J.J., Verhoff, J., and Collette, B.J., 1992. Magnetic Anomalies in the Canary Basin and the Mesozoic Evolution of the Central North Atlantic, Marine Geophysical Researches, v. 14, pp 1-24.
  • Vogt, P. R., 1986. Magnetic Anomalies and Crustal Magnetization, In Vogt and Tucholke (eds.), The Geology of North America, Volume M, The Western North Atlantic Region, Geological Society of America, p. 229-256.
 Ryan
3
Jan. 27
 T
Overview of Sediment Types and distributions (biogenic, terrigenous, authigenic, diagenetic, volcanogenic) Ocean Sediment Types powerpoint File
 Ryan
4
Jan. 29
 Th

Sources and distributions of Biogenic Sediments, nutrients in the ocean, and sediment trap particle fluxes. Biogenic Sedimentation powerpoint File

Reading

  • Kennett, J. P., 1982. Biogenic and Authogenic oceanic sediments, in Marine Geology, J. P. Kennett, Chapter 14, pp. 455-503.
    • Seibold, E. and Berger, W., 1993. The Seafloor. Chapter 8 "Deep-sea sediments - patterns, processes, and stratigraphic methods" pp. 215-236.* Open University, 1999. Chapter 3 Deep-sea sediments. pp. 61-76.
  • Archer, D. 1996. An atlas of the distribution of calcium carbonate in sediments in the deep-sea. Global. Biogeochem. Cycles.v. 10 (1), 159-174. PDF
  • Archer, D., 2004. Biological fluxes in the ocean and atmospheric pCO2. Treatise on Geochemistry (Elsevier), pp. 275-291. PDF
 deMenocal
  Jan. 30 F Lab at LDEO: Visual examination of selected cores in the Lamont Core Repository. G. menardii stratigraphy: Sampling, processing of sediments and microscopic identification. (Lab Notes) deMenocal and Ryan
5
Feb. 3
 T

Biogenic Calcite production and deposition (CCD, Lysocline, basin-basin fractionation). Proxies for reconstructing changes in ocean carbonate chemistry Carbonate deposition powerpoint file.

Reading

  • Seibold, E. and Berger, W., 1993. The Seafloor. Chapter 8. Deep-Sea Sediments - Calcareous Ooze, p. 225-231.
  • Berger, W. H. and E. L. Winterer, 1974. Plate stratigraphy and the fluctuating carbonate line, in Pelagic Sediments, On land and Under the Sea, Pub # 1, K.J. Hsu and H. C. Jenkyns (eds), International Association of Sedimentologists, pp. 11-98.
  • Berger, W.H., 1978. Sedimentation of deep-sea carbonate: maps and models of variations and fluctuations, Journal of Foraminiferal Research, v. 8, #4, p. 286-302.
  • Broecker, W.S. 2004. The Oceanic CaCO3 cycle. Treatise in Geochemistry (PDF)
  • Barker et al., 2004. Temporal changes in North Atlantic circulation constrained. Paleoceanography, 19 (PDF)
 deMenocal
6
Feb. 5
 Th

Terrigenous Sediment distributions, composition, mineralogy, and sediment fluxes (hemipelagic, aeolian, glaciogenic, prodelta, contourites, turbidites, debris flow deposits).

Terrigenous Distributions Powerpoint file

Reading

  • Margin Formation- A.B. Watts and W. B. F. Ryan, 1976, Flexure of the lithosphere and continental margin basins, Tectonophysics, volume 36, Pages 25-44. pdf
  • General Margin Sedimentation- Philip P. E. Weaver, Russell B. Wynn, Neil H. Kenyon and Jeremy Evans Continental margin sedimentation, with special reference to the north-east Atlantic margin, Sedimentology, Volume 47, Issue s1, Page 239-256, February 2000 pdf
  • Submarine Canyons- Farre, J.A., McGregor, B.A., Ryan, W.B.F. and Robb, J.M., 1983. Breaching the shelfbreak: passage from youthful to mature phase in submarine canyon evolution. SEPM Special Publication #33, pp. 25-39. pdf
  • Pratson, L.F. and Coakley, B.J., 1996. A model for the headward erosion of submarine canyons induced by downslope-eroding sediment flows. Geological. Society of America Bulletin, Vol. 108, p. 225-234 pdf
  • Deep-Sea Fans-Roger D. Flood and John E. Damuth. 1987: Quantitative characteristics of sinuous distributary channels on the Amazon Deep-Sea Fan. Geological Society of America Bulletin: Vol. 98, No. 6, pp. 728–738. pdf
  • J. Torres, L. Droz, B. Savoye, E. Terentieva, P. Cochonat, N. H. Kenyon & M. Canals, Deep-sea avulsion and morphosedimentary evolution of the Rhône Fan Valley and Neofan during the Late Quaternary (north-western Mediterranean Sea), Sedimentology, Volume 44, Issue 3, Page 457-447, June 1997 pdf

Optional Readings:

  • Kenneth I. Skene, David J. W. Piper and Paul S. Hill Quantitative analysis of variations in depositional sequence thickness from submarine channel levees, Sedimentology, Volume 49, Issue 6, Page 1411-1430, December 2002 pdf
  • Reinhard Hesse. 1989: "Drainage systems" associated with mid-ocean channels and submarine yazoos: Alternative to submarine fan depositional systems. Geology: Vol. 17, No. 12, pp. 1148–1151 pdf
Ryan
7
Feb. 10
 T

Organic Carbon: Productivity, Preservation, Burial, Bioturbation, Sapropels, N-isotopes.

Organic Carbon sedimentation PowerPoint file

Reading

  • Cita, M.B., 1991. Anoxic basins of the eastern Mediterranean: An overview, Paleoceanography, v. 6, pp 133-142.
  • Ryan, W. B. F., and Cita, M. B., 1977. Ignorance concerning episodes of ocean-wide stagnation, Marine Geology, v. 23, pp. 197-215.Weissert, H., 1981. The environment of deposition of black shales in the early Cretaceous: An ongoing controversy, Special Pub Soc. of Econ., Paleontol. Mineral., v. 32, pp. 547-560.Rossignol-Strick, M., et al. (1982), After the deluge: Mediterranean stagnation and sapropel formation, Nature, 295, 105-110. (also, Rossignol-Strick, M.,1985 PDF)
  • Sachs, J. and Repeta, D., 1999. Oligotrophy and nitrogen fixation during eastern Mediterranean sapropel events. Science, 286, pp. 2485-2488) (PDF).
 deMenocal
8
Feb. 12
 Th

Fundamental Sediment Properties (physical, chemical, magnetic, organic, grain size, proxies of provenance). Phys.Props powerpoint file.

Reading

  • Harris, S., King, T., Mix, A.C. Biogenic and terrigenous sedimentation at Ceara Rise, western tropical Atlantic, supports Pliocene-Pleistocene deep-water linkage between hemispheres. ODP Sci. Res. Vol. 154, pp. 331-345. (PDF)
  • Harris, S.and Mix, A.C. Precipitation balance in the Amazon Basin recorded in deep-sea sediments.Quat. Res. 51, pp. 14-26. (PDF)
  • Moran, K. Elastic Property corrections applied to Leg 154 sediments, Ceara Rise. ODP Sci. Res. Vol. 154, pp. 331-345. (PDF)
 deMenocal
9
Feb. 17
 T

Pore Water Geochemistry, Sediment-Water Interactions, and Redox Reactions.(Pore water geochemistry)

Reading

  • Emerson, S. and Hedges, J. Sediment diagenesis and benthic flux. Treatise on Geochemistry (Elsevier). pp. 300-319. (PDF)
  • DeMaster, D. The diagenesis of biogenic silica. Treatise on Geochemistry (Elsevier). pp. 87-98. (PDF)
  • Martin, W.R. and Sayles, F.L. The recycling of biogenic material at the seafloor. Treatise on Geochemistry (Elsevier). pp. 37-65. (PDF).
 deMenocal
10
Feb. 19
 Th

Fundamental Sediment Properties (physical, chemical, magnetic, organic, grain size, proxies of provenance). Phys.Props powerpoint file.

Reading

  • Harris, S., King, T., Mix, A.C. Biogenic and terrigenous sedimentation at Ceara Rise, western tropical Atlantic, supports Pliocene-Pleistocene deep-water linkage between hemispheres. ODP Sci. Res. Vol. 154, pp. 331-345. (PDF)
  • Harris, S.and Mix, A.C. Precipitation balance in the Amazon Basin recorded in deep-sea sediments.Quat. Res. 51, pp. 14-26. (PDF)
  • Moran, K. Elastic Property corrections applied to Leg 154 sediments, Ceara Rise. ODP Sci. Res. Vol. 154, pp. 331-345.
 deMenocal
11
Feb. 24
 T
Principles of downhole logging (tools, methods, data analysis). powerpoint , powerpoint

Reading

  • Jones, E. J. W., Marine Geophysics, John Wiley & Sons, 1999, Chapter 11: "Geophysical observations in offshore boreholes", p. 259-286. On reserve in the Geology and Geoscience libraries.
  • Goldberg, D., 1997, The role of downhole measurements in marine geology and geophysics, Reviews of Geophysics, v. 35, no. 3, p. 315-342. Reviews of Geophysics is available through the Columbia library; click on "Library Access - Back issues from 1993" and navigate to v. 35, no. 3.
  • deMenocal, P., Bristow, J., and Stein, R. Paleoclimatic applications of downhole logs: Plio-Pleistocene results from Hole 798B, Sea of Japan. In: Piscotto, K.A., Ingle, J.C. Jr., von Breymann, M.T., Barron, J., et al. Proceedings ODP, Scientific Results, 127/128, Pt. 1: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program); 393-408, 1992. PDF

 

 Malinverno
12
Feb. 26
 Th
Principles of Paleomagnetic, Seismic, Lithologic, Isotope and Bio- Stratigraphy
Powerpoint File
Adobe PDF format File
Data for Lab Exercise

Reading

  • Seibold, E. and Berger, W., 1993. The Seafloor. Chapter 8. Deep-Sea Sediments - Stratigraphy and Dating, p. 236-240.
  • Foster, J. H. and Opdyke, 1970. Upper Miocene to Recent magnetic stratigraphy in deep-sea sediments, Journal of Geophysical research, v. 75, p. 4465-4473. pdf
  • Ninkovich, D., 1968. Pleistocene volcanic eruptions in New Zealand recortded in deep-sea sediments, Earth and Planetary Science letters, v. 4, p. 89-102. pdf
  • Hays, J. D., T. Saito, N. D. Opdyke and L. H. Burckle, 1969. Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments of the equatorial Pacific: Their paleomagnetic, biostratigraphic and climatic record, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 80, pp. 1481-1513
  • Shackleton, N. J., and N. D. Opdyke, 1976. Oxygen-isotope and paleomagnetic stratigraphy of Pacific core V28-239 Late Pliocene to Latest Pleistocene, Geological Society of America Memoir 145, pp. 449-464.
  • Tucholke, B. and G. S. Mountain, 1979. Seismic stratigraphy, lithostratigraphy and paleosedimentation patterns in North American Basin, in Maurice Ewing Series 3, Deep Sea Drilling Results in the North Atlantic Ocean: Continental Margins and Paleoenvironment, M. Talwini, W. B. F. Ryan, W. Hay (eds), American Geophysical Union, pp. 58-86.

 

 Ryan
13
Mar. 3
 T

Reefs, atolls and global sealevel (powerpoint file)

Reading

  • Seibold, E. and Berger, W., 1993. The Seafloor. Chapter 7. Imprint of Climatic Zonation on Marine Sediments, p. 185-199.
  • Freeman-Lynde, R. P., and Ryan, W.B.F.1985, Erosional modification of Bahama Escarpment, Bulletin of Geological Society of America, v. 96, p. 481-494. (pdf)
  • Schlager, W. and O. Camber, 1986. Submarine slope angles, drowning unconformities and self-erosion of limestone escarpments, Geology, v. 14, pp 762-765. (pdf)
Ryan
14
Mar. 5
 Th

Principles and Applications of Sequence Stratigraphy powerpoint File

Reading

  • Allen, P.A. and Allen, J.R., 2005. Basin Analysis: Principles and Applications, Chapter 8, p. 266-285. Blackwell Publishing (on reserver in Library)
  • Haq, B.U., Hardenbol, J., and Vail, P.R., 1988. Mesozoic and chronostratigraphy and cycles of sea level change, in Wilgus, C. et al., eds, Sea Level Changes- an integrated approach, Society Economioc Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Publication Number 42, p. 71-108.
  • Posamentier, H.W., and Vail, P.R., 1988. Eustatic controls on clastic deposition II, in Wilgus, C., et al., eds, Sea Level Changes- an integrated approach, Soc. Economioc Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Publication Number 42, p. 125-154
 Ryan
15
Mar. 10
 T

1 hour MID-TERM EXAM 

 
 
Mar. 12
 Th

Plate Stratigraphy and the Fluctuating Calcium Compensation Surface (powerpoint file)
Reading

  • Berger, W.H. and Winterer, E.L., 1974. - Plate stratigraphy and the fluctuating carbonate line, Special Publications, International Association of Sedimentologists, (Editors, Hsu, K.J. and Jenkyns, H.) v. 1, pp 11-48. (Note: Read in particular pages 19-25, and 31-44). (pdf)
  • Seibold, E. and Berger, W., 1993. - The Seafloor: An Introduction to Marine Geology, Springer-Verlag, New York, 2nd edition, pp. 266-270. Seibold and Berger pp266-270 (Note: a good and concise presentation of the method of 'backtracking'). (pdf)
  • Muttoni, G, Erba, E., Kent, D.V., and Bachtadse, V., 2005. Mesozoic Alpine faces deposition as a result of past latitudinal plate motion, Nature, v. 434, p. 59-63. (pdf)
  Ryan
 
 
Spring Break
  
 
 
Spring Break
  
16
Mar. 24
 T

Events in Earth History: Snowball Earh

(powerpoint file of lecture)

(pdf file of lecture)

(Readings )

 

 Ryan
17
Mar. 26
 Th

Events in Earth History: The Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary (K-T Event powerpoint file)

Reading

  • Zachos, J. et al.(2001) Trends, Rhythms, and abberations in global climate, 65 Ma to present. Science, 292, 686-693. (PDF).
  • D'Hondt, S. et al. (1998). Organic carbon fluxes and the ecological recovery from the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction. Science. 282, pp.276-279. (PDF).
 deMenocal
18
Mar. 31
 T

Events in Earth History: The early Cenozoic "Greenhouse World" (Eocene thermal optimum powerpoint file).

Reading

  • Zachos, J. et al.(2001) Trends, Rhythms, and abberations in global climate, 65 Ma to present. Science, 292, 686-693. (PDF)
  • Pearson, P, and Palmer, M. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations over the past 60 million years. Nature, 406, pp. 695-701. (PDF)
  • Ruddiman, W.F. "Earth's Climate, Past and Future"Freeman Press. Chapter 5, pp. 116-128. Chapter 7, pp. 148-171.
  • Zachos, J.C., Stott, L., and Lohmann, K.C., 1994, Evolution of early Cenozoic marine temperatures: Paleoceanography, v. 9, p. 353-387. (PDF)

 

 deMenocal
19
Apr. 2
 Th

Events in Earth History: Methane Clathrates: Origin, Measurement, and Instability (PDF)

Reading

  • Kvenvolden, K.A. Gas hydrates - Geological perspective and global change, Review of Geophysics, 31, 2, 173-187. (PDF)

 

Malinverno
20
Apr. 7
 T

Events in Earth History: Atmosphere and ocean signatures of massive clathrate dissociation (P-E boundary powerpoint file)

Reading

  • Kennett, J. and Stott, L.D., 1991. Abrupt deep-sea warming, paleoceanographic changes, and benthic extinctions at the end of the Palaeocene. Nature, 353, 255-259. (PDF).
  • Dickens et al., 1995. Dissassociation of oceanic methane clathrate as a cause of the carbon isotopic excursion at the end of the Paleocene. Paleoceanography, 18, 6, 965-971 (PDF).
  • Zachos, J.C., et al., 2005. Rapid acidification of the ocean during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum. Science, 308, pp. 1611-1616 (PDF).
  • Zachos, J. et al.(2001) Trends, Rhythms, and abberations in global climate, 65 Ma to present. Science, 292, 686-693. (PDF)
  • Kvenvolden, K.A. Gas hydrates - Geological perspective and global change, Review of Geophysics, 31, 2, 173-187. (PDF)

 

 deMenocal
21
Apr. 9
 Th

Into the Icehouse: The role of CO2 in early Cenozoic climate transitions and orbital climate variability

Reading:

  • DeConto, R.M. and Pollard, D., 2003. Rapid Cenozoic glaciation of Antarctica induced by declining atmospheric CO2. Nature, 421, pp.425-249.. (PDF).
  • Palike, H., et al., 2006. The heartbeat of the Oligocene climate system. Science, 314, pp. 1895-1898. (PDF).
  • Liu, Z., etal., 2009. Global cooling during the Eocene-Oligocene climate transition. Science, 323, pp. 1187-1190 (PDF).

 

 DeConto
22
Apr. 14
 T

Into the Icehouse, Miocene ice growth and bipolar glaciations

Reading

  • DeConto, R.M., Pollard, D., Wilson, P., Palike, H. Lear, C., Pagani, M. 2008. Thresholds for Cenozoic biopolar glaciation. Nature, 455, pp. 652-657. (PDF)
  • Pollard, D. and DeConto, R.M., 2009. Modelling West Antarctic ice sheet growth and collapse through the past five million years. Nature, 458, pp. 329-342. (PDF).
  • Naish, T., and a whole bunch of coauthors, 2009. Obliquity-paced Pliocene West Antarctic ice sheet oscillations. Nature, 458, pp. 322-329. (PDF).

 

 DeConto
23
Apr. 16
 Th

Events in Earth History: The Late Cenozoic "Icehouse World" (AA Glaciation powerpoint file)

Reading

  • Zachos, J. et al.(2001) Trends, Rhythms, and abberations in global climate, 65 Ma to present. Science, 292, 686-693. (PDF)
  • Miller, K., Fairbanks, R.G., and Mountain, G.S., 1987, Tertiary oxygen isotope synthesis, sea level history, and continental margin erosion: Paleoceanography, v. 2, p. 1-19.
  • Zachos, J.C., Stott, L., and Lohmann, K.C., 1994, Evolution of early Cenozoic marine temperatures: Paleoceanography, v. 9, p. 353-387. (PDF)
  • Coxall, H.K., Wilson, P.A., Pälike, H., Lear, C.H., and Backman, J., 2005, Rapid stepwise onset of Antarctic glaciation and deep calcite compensation in the Pacific Ocean: Nature, v. 433, p. 53-57. (PDF)
  • Lear, C.H., Elderfield, H., and Wilson, P.A., 2000, Cenozoic deep-sea temperatures and global ice volumes from Mg/Ca in benthic foraminiferal calcite: Science, v. 287, p. 269-272. (PDF).

 

 deMenocal
24
Apr. 21
 T

Events in Earth History: Onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (powerpoint file)

Reading

  • Raymo, M. E. (1994). The initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Ann. Rev. Earth and Planet. Sci. 22: 353-383. (PDF).
  • Raymo, M. E., W. F. Ruddiman, et al. (1990). "Evolution of Atlantic-Pacific d13C gradients over the last 2.5 m.y. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 97: 353-368. (PDF)
  • Haug, G. H., D. M. Sigman, et al. (2005). North Pacific Seasonality and the glaciation of North America 2.7 million years ago. Nature, 433, 821-825. (PDF).
  • Hybers, P. and Wunsch, C., 2005. Obliquity pacing of the late Pleistocene glacial terminations. Nature, 434, pp. 491-495. (PDF).
  • Raymo, M. and Nisancioglu, K. The 41 kyr World: Milankovitch's other unsolved mystery. Paleoceanography, 18(1), PP. (PDF)
 deMenocal
25
Apr. 23
 Th

Events in Earth History: Onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (powerpoint file)

 deMenocal
26
Apr. 28
 T

Tropical SST gradients since the LGM: Measurements and Hypotheses

 Arbuszewski
27
Apr. 30
 Th

Events in Earth History: The Pliocene Warm Period and new views of the tropical oceans (powerpoint file)

Reading

  • Philander, S. and A. Fedorov (2003). "Role of tropics in changing the response to Milankovitch forcing some three million years ago." Paleoceanography 18(2): 1045. (PDF)
  • Cane, M. A. and P. Molnar (2001). "Closing of the Indonesian Seaway as precursor to East African aridification around 3-4 million years ago." Nature 411: 157-162.(PDF)
  • Liu, Z. H. and T. D. Herbert (2004). "High-latitude influence on the eastern equatorial Pacific climate in the early Pleistocene epoch." Nature 427(6976): 720-723. (PDF)
  • Ravelo, A., D. Andreasen, et al. (2004). "Regional climate shifts caused by gradual global coolng in the Pliocene epoch." Nature 429: 263-267. (PDF)
  • Wara, M. Ravelo, A.C., Delaney, M.L. Permanent El-Niño-like conditions during the Pliocene warm period. Science, 309. pp. 758-761. (PDF)
  • Brierley et al (2009) Greatly Expanded Tropical Warm Pool and Weakened Hadley Circulation in the Early Pliocene Science, 323, 1714 DOI: 10.1126/science.1167625 (PDF).
 deMenocal
 
 
Reading Days
  
 
 May 14
 Th
9:00-11:00 - 2 Hr Final Exam