Quaternary Development and Paleoclimate

The course includes 7,5 credits at master's level. The course is also offered as an elective course subject to availability.

The course can be part of the following programme:

Master's Programme in Earth Sciences (N2GVS)

Admission to the course requires 120 credits of completed courses in the main subject Earth Sciences, of which at least 75% with the grade Pass. Students with equivalent qualifications may be admitted to the course after review and approval.

The aim of the course is to provide interdisciplinary knowledge of the development of climate during geologic history to give additional knowledge in Quarternary geology for students with other Earth Sciences specializations.

Climate development through the Quaternary will be investigated with a focus on important eras and cycles such as the Mid-Pleistocene transition, the last glacial maximum, the Younger Dryas, and Milankovitch cycles. A main focus will be to review different climate indicators critically that are used to interpret Quaternary climate.

The students will work individually as well as in groups on paleoclimate data, collected from different sources, that will be analyzed and synthesized for different time frames of the Quaternary period and for various regions around the world. The results will be presented in written reports as well as orally in seminars.

On successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• evaluate climate and paleoclimate data from various sources and make appropriate interpretations and comparisons.
• describe and discuss/explain climate cycles and periods in the Quaternary, (such as Milankovitch cycles, Heinrich events, Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles, the Mid-Pleistocene, and the Younger Dryas). 
• describe and explain the geological history of the Quarternary on land and sea, locally, regionally and globally.
• describe and explain leading theories of climate change and how landscape development has changed over time.

Competence and skills

• demonstrate advanced knowledge of and ability to explain different paleoproxies and their advantages, compare them and place them in a large-scale context. 
• assess the potential and limitation of paleoproxies and data sources. 
• analyze information from primary research articles and scientific reports. 

Judgement and approach

• critically evaluate and assess the quality of the science and conclusions of primary research articles and scientific reports. 
• critically evaluate and assess the quality of data and conclusions received and presented in student assignments. 
• justify the main results in a summary report.

The teaching consists of lectures, compulsory seminars, exercises, compulsory group assignment, reports and presentations.

Language of instruction: English

Theory, 4 credits: Fail/Pass/Pass with Distinction (U/G/VG)

Exercises, 3,5 credits: Fail/Pass (U/G)

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course's intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been doscontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaption of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local Rules Regarding RIU Students at the University of Gothenburg.

The grading scale comprises: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U).

For the grade Pass (G) on the entire course, Pass (G) on all course componets and active participation in seminars and individual presentations is required. For the grade Pass with Distinction (VG) on the entire course, the grade Pass with Distinction (VG) on the theory component is also required.

The students are given the opportunity to make an anonymous written evaluation of the course.

The result of and possible changes to the course will be shared with the students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.

Students admitted to N2GVS Master's Programme in Earth Sciences are given priority to the course.