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Course Schedule

Note: I present material in a different order than do the sources.
Some students have found it helpful to read book/report sources in order.

Links to assignments, outlines, handouts, visuals, etc., for each lecture will become
active as the quarter progresses.

Topic

Date

Readings (Book identifiers)

Lecture
Resources

Overview of marine geology and of this course

9/26

OB, Chapter 1, pp. 5-25
OB, Chapter 7, especially pp. 151-155

Outline

Handouts

Visuals

In section: How to read, interpret, and present an article 9/29&30 sections

Schmitz, W.J., Jr.(1995) On the interbasin-scale thermohaline circulation, Rev. Geophysics 33, 151-173.) Part I, Part II, color figures

See sites on "Links" page also

 

What are the characteristics of the seafloor and the ocean basins?

Seafloor provinces and ocean basins; two systems of describing Earth's interior

Assignment for today's class

9/29

OB, pp. 26-36, 41-45, 92-94

See:General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans, Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean progress,

Outline

Visuals

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How are these characteristics explained in the context of plate tectonics?

Hypsometric curve and isostasy, depth-age, area-age, basic rules of plate tectonics

See Plate Reconstructions and information about Plate Tectonics from Space map

10/1

OB, pp. 37-38

see also: Cogne, J.-P., and E. Humler (2004) Temporal variation of oceanic spreading and crustal production rates during the last 180 My, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 227, 427-439. Supplemental data appendix

Outline

Visuals

Section: Geologic timescale, Scientific ocean drilling

Geologic timescales: GSA1999 ICS2008

10/6&7 See TIME SCALE CREATOR From the web site: "TimeScale Creator is for you to create charts of any portion of the geologic time scale with your choice of bio-, magneto-, chemo- and other events in Earth History."  

Solid Earth cycle and plate boundaries, distribution of volcanic and seismic activity

10/6

OB, pp. 38-41, 45-53, 55-67

Outline

Visuals

Group Presentation: Bathymetry 10/6 cont'd

Smith, W.H.F. and D.T. Sandwell (2004) Conventional bathymetry, bathymetry from space, and geodetic altimetry, Oceanography 17(1), 8-23. Entire Special Issue

Sandwell, D.T., S.T. Gille, and W.H.F. Smith, eds. (2002) Bathymetry from space: Oceanography, geophysics, and climate, Geoscience Professional Services, Bethesda, Maryland , 24 pp. Report on line

Handouts

Visuals

Earth's magnetic field, paleomagnetism and the oceanic crust 10/8  

Outline

Visuals

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What are the sources, distributions, and characteristics of oceanic sediments?

Oceanic biogeochemical cycles, ocean circulation, and particle transport

10/8 cont'd, start of 10/13

OB, pp. 124-127, 151-159
MBC, Chapter 2, pp. 19-57, esp. pp. 39-44

Visuals

Plate stratigraphy:  sediment distribution in time and space

10/13

MBC, Chapter 1, pp. 8-18

See: Imaging Earth History Beneath the Ocean Floor: Three Decades of Major Scientific Accomplishments

Outline

Visuals

Group presentation:
Plate tectonics

10/13 cont'd

Müller, M. Sdrolius, C. Gaina, and W.R. Roest (2008) Age, spreading rates, and spreading asymmetry of the world’s ocean crust, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys. 9, doi:10//1029/2007GC001743.

Handouts

Visuals

Group presentation: The biological pump, particle flux, and sedimentation

10/15 

Ducklow, H.W., D.K. Steinberg, and K.O. Buesseler (2001) Upper ocean carbon export and the biological pump, Oceanography 14(4), 50-58.  See entire U.S. JGOFS issue

Archer, D. (2004) Biological fluxes in the ocean and atmospheric pCO 2 , pp. 275-291, in The Oceans and Marine Geochemistry (ed. H. Elderfield) Vol. 6 Treatise on Geochemistry (eds. H.D. Holland and K.K. Turekian), Elsevier-Pergamon, Oxford .

Handouts

Visuals

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Calcium carbonate sedimentation, the calcite compensation depth (CCD), and the Ca budget; circulation and basin-scale effects, regional and local effects

CCD handout

10/15 cont'd

Broecker, W.S. (2004) The Oceanic CaCO3 Cycle, pp. 529-549, in The Oceans and Marine Geochemistry (ed. H. Elderfield) Vol. 6 Treatise on Geochemistry (eds. H.D. Holland and K.K. Turekian), Elsevier-Pergamon, Oxford. Especially pp. 529-538.

MBC pp. 58-64

Sclater, J.G., E. Boyle, and J.M. Edmond (1979) A quantitative analysis of some factors affecting carbonate sedimentation in the oceans, in Deep Drilling Results in the Atlantic Ocean:  Continental Margin and Paleoenvironment, pp. 235-248.

Outline

Visuals

10/20

Questions

Outline

Questions

Visuals

Library/reference finding 10/20&24 Monday, Oct 20th, 12:30-1:40 p.m., and Friday, Oct 24th, 2:00-3:10 p.m., in the S&E Instruction Room, Room 215 These replace all regular sections this week--pick one!  

Group presentation:
CCD changes on short timescales

10/22  

Orr, J.C. et al. (2005) Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and its impact on calcifying organisms, Nature 437, 681-686.

Ridgwell, A., and R.E. Zeebe (2005) The role of the global carbonate cycle in the regulation and evolution of the Earth system, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 234, 299-315.

Handouts

Visuals

Opaline silica sedimentation 10/22 cont'd

MBC, pp. 58-59

Outline

Visuals

Bioturbation: The basics

Sediment environments: morphology and dynamics, particle transport, other sediment types

10/27

Berger, W.H., and G. R. Heath (1968) Vertical mixing in pelagic sediments, Jour. Mar. Research 26, 134-143.

Burdige, D.J. (2006) Geochemistry of Marine Sediments, sections 5.3 (pp. 65-67) and section 12.4 (pp. 286-302) (Book on reserve)

MBC, pp. 64-72
See also: Kennett, Marine Geology, Chapter 15, Geological effects of bottom currents

Outline

Visuals

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How do we define sediment ages?  What are the effects of organisms on the sediment record?

Sediment dating 10/29

Know what’s presented in lecture; ask me for references if you want more information

Moore, T., and H. Palike (2006) Time is of the essence, Oceanography 19(4) 22-27 S-ODP

Outline

Visuals

Group presentation: Bioturbation

10/29

cont'd

Ridgwell, A. (2007) Interpreting transient carbonate compensation depth changes by marine sediment core modeling, Paleoceanography 22, PA4102, doi:10.1029/2006PA001372.

Trauth, M.H., M. Sarnthein, and M. Arnold (1997) Bioturbational mixing depth and carbon flux at the seafloor, Paleoceanography 12, 517-526.

Handouts

Visuals

Special section 11/3 Midterm review (replaces other sections) Sample midterm

MIDTERM EXAM

11/5

(includes material through 10/27 lecture)

 

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What is the structure of the oceanic crust?  What are the effects of the processes of formation, aging, and alteration?

Structure of oceanic crust, heat flow, formation and aging of oceanic crust

11/3

OB, Chapter 4, pp. 68-95
A&O, pp. 61-66

Dick et al. (2006) Past and future impact of deep drilling in the crust and mantle, Oceanography 19(4), 72-80 S-ODP

See IODP Exp. 312 Expedition Report

Outline

Visuals

11/10

Outline

Visuals

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What are the roles of fluids in ocean sediments and the oceanic crust?

Group presentation : Deep biosphere

11/10 cont'd

Smith, D.C., and S. D'Hondt (2006) Exploration of life in deep subseafloor sediments, Oceanography 19(4) 58-70 (includes inset piece)

D'Hondt, S., et al. (2004) Distributions of microbial activities in deep subseafloor sediments, Science, 306, 2216-2221.

DeLong, E.F. (2004) Microbial life breathes deep, Science 306, 2198-2200.

See also subseafloor biogeochemistry database

Handouts

Visuals

Interstitial water, hydrothermal circulation, and other fluids

11/12

OB, pp. 96-123
A&O, pp. 39-54, 67-72
Delaney and Shipboard Scientific Party (1991) Inorganic geochemistry summary, in Kroenke, L.W., W.H. Berger, T.R. Janecek et al., Proceedings ODP, Init. Rpts. 130, 549-551.

Kastner, M. et al. (2006) New insights into the hydrogeology of the oceanic crust through long-term monitoring, Oceanography 19(4) 46-57 S-ODP

Outline

Visuals

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What are the characteristics of the continental margins?  What processes are important in their formation and evolution?

Group presentation: Subduction zones

11/17

Stern, J. (2002) Subduction initiation: Spontaneous and induced, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 226, 275-292.

Tatsumi, Y., and R.J. Stern (2006) Manufacturing continental crust in the subduction factory, Oceanography 19(4) 104-112

See also:  A&O, pp. 73-77, 91-96

 

Handouts

Visuals

Classification and distribution of continental margins; passive margins and sea level change; gas hydrates in marine sediments

11/17 cont'd & 11/19

OB, pp. 30-35, 129-150
A&O, pp. 23-28, 35-38, 85-90

Miller, K.G., et al. (2005) The Phanerozoic record of global sea level change, Science 310, 1293-1298.

Trehu, A.M. et al. (2006) Gas hydrates in marine sediments: Lessons from scientific ocean drilling, Oceanography 19(4) 124-142 S-ODP

More paleo reconstructions, including future projections, based on plate motions

11/17

Outline

Visuals

11/19

Outline

Visuals

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What do oceanic sediment records tell us about ocean and climate history?

Group presentation: Gas hydrates 11/19 cont'd

Kvenvolden, K.A., and B.W. Rogers (2004) Gaia’s breath—global methane exhalations, Mar. Petrol. Geol. 22, 579-590.

Handouts

Visuals

Proposal presentations by students (section and class)

11/24

Proposal success tips

 

Peer review form, oral presentation and proposal evaluation forms

Goals and methods of paleoceanography, climate history of the last 3 m.y.

12/1

  

 

MBC, pp. 73-91
A&O, pp. 5-22, 28-34

See also: Lisiecki, L., and M.E. Raymo (2005), A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic delta-O-18 records, Paleoceanography 20, PA1003, doi:10.1029/2004PA001071

European ice sheets/shorelines with glaciations

Outline

Visuals

Climate and ice volume history of the past 100 m.y. 12/3

Outline

Visuals

Final exam

12/11

Due by 3:00 p.m. to A450 EMS

 

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Book identifiers Back to top

OB=The Ocean Basins: Their Structure and Evolution

MBC=Marine Biogeochemical Cycles
A&O=Achievements and Opportunities of Scientific Ocean Drilling, The Legacy of the Ocean Drilling Program, A Special Issue of the JOIDES Journal, vol. 28, no. 1, 20

S-ODP=Oceanography Special Issue on "The Impact of the Ocean Drilling Program," vol. 19(4)

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last updated 10/06/08