EACS 310 : QUATERNARY GEOLOGY

The Quaternary periods representing the last ca. 1.6 million years of geologic history, is characterized by extreme climatic fluctuations with effects ranging from globally synchronous glacier expansions to periods warmer than present. This course examines evidence for climate change contained in various sedimentary records including ice cores, marine sediments, and glacial deposits. Field work in the course focusses on the recovery of sediment cores from local lakes and marine inlets while in laboratory investigations of physical, chemical and biological composition of the cores are undertaken.