Stratigraphy: Past, Present and Future Perspectives.
International Stratigraphic Guide.
Classification.
Marine and continental deposits.
Paleomagnetism and Magnetostratigraphy.
Stable Isotopic stratigraphy.
Stratigraphic researches in the Arctic and Antarctic areas.
Cyclostratigraphy.
Applied Stratigraphy in Mediterranean marine and continental sedimentary successions (Neogene and Quaternary) (field-trips).
Reconstructing Earth’s Climate History. Inquiry-Based Exercises for Lab and Class. Kristen St John, R Mark Leckie, Kate Pound, Megan Jones and Lawrence Krissek. A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication. (Chapters: 2-4; 6-8; 11-12)
Lezioni in powerpoint, articoli selezionati da riviste: disponibili su piattaforma E-learning.
Guida Italiana alla Classificazione e alla terminologia stratigrafica. APAT, Quaderni III, 9, 155 pp.
Learning Objectives
The course provides methodological and scientific knowledge on stratigraphic principles for palaeographic reconstructions and correlations of geological events and processes in time and space. The goal is to provide an understanding of the order and timing of events in Earth history and to interpret glacial deposits and sedimentary rocks in terms of dynamic evolving environments. The knowledge of the stratigraphic records is essential for understanding the evolution of life, plate tectonics through time and global climate change.
At the end of the course students should be able to:
1. Integrate complex data for summary stratigraphic reconstructions indispensable for basin analyses, geological mapping and exploitation of subsoil resources too.
2. Correlate the different stratigraphic data.
3. Understand the applicability and potential of the main stratigraphic analyses and methods for future research or professional activities
Prerequisites
Basic elements of geology and sedimentology.
Teaching Methods
Lectures (with multimedia content integration) and seminarial activities.
Ongoing learning: student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction.
Possible development of microprojects by students.
Further information
Frequency of lectures, practice and lab: attendance is highly recommended, but not mandatory; attendance is expected at least 2/3 of practical classes and at lab classes as well.
Type of Assessment
Oral test
Course program
STRATIGRAPHY: Past, Present and Future Perspectives. International Stratigraphic Guide.
CLASSIFICATION: Principles, Terminology and Procedures. ICS. CIS. IUGS.
MARINE SEDIMENTS: observation, description of physical characteristics of sediments cores and their composition. Geographic distribution and interpretation of marine sediments from the Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.
MARINE BIOSTRATIGRAPHY: microfossils and applied stratigraphy in marine environments. FO and LO. Rates of sediment accumulation. Correlations.
PALEOMAGNETISM AND MAGNETOSTRATIGRAPHY: Earth magnetic field today and the paleomagnetic record of deep-sea sediments. Paleomagnetism in oceanic crust. The seafloor spreading hypothesis. The Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale. Cenozoic case studies.
ISOTOPIC STRATIGRAPHY (STABLE ISOTOPES OF OXYGEN): pattern, trends and examples for the last 65 Ma. Cenozoic case studies.
ARCTIC OCEAN SCIENTIFIC DRILLING: how to recover and study deep cores from the Arctic seafloor.
ANTARCTIC SEDIMENT CORES: sedimentary facies and paleoclimatic e paleoenvironmental changes during the Neogene.
CONTINENTAL DEPOSITS: STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOENVIRONMENTS with insights on the terrestrial carbonates (travertines, calcareous tufas, .).
CYCLOSTRATIGRAPHY: from astronomical cycles to the sedimentary record. Concepts, definitions and nomenclature. Potential and limitations. Astronomical time scale. Cenozoic case studies.
APPLIED STRATIGRAPHY ON THE MEDITERRANEAN MARINE AND CONTINENTAL SEDIMENTARY SUCCESSIONS (NEOGENE AND QUATERNARY), whit focus on:
1) The Messinian salinity crisis; 2) The Pliocene and the Quaternary (Anthropocene too): stratigraphy and paleoenvironmental reconstructions (with field trips).