The course aims to give the students thorough knowledges on the geology, stratigraphy, palaeoclimatology, and paleontology of the last 2.5 million years of the Earth history, illustrating multidisciplinary approaches.
teacher profile teaching materials
History of the continental Plio-Quaternary stratigraphy. Causes of the Quaternary climatic changes. Astronomical theory of climate changes. Precessional ond obliquity cycles, 40 ka and 100 ka glacial and interglacial cycles. Gelasian and Pleistocene glaciations. The Middle Pleistocene Transition. Illustration of the most relevant glacial deposits on Alps and Apennines.
Plio-Quaternary biochronology based on large and small mammals, freshwater molluscs and non-marine ostracods. Pollen stratigraphy and climatic stratigraphy. Man and industry. Archaeogeological analyses. Examples of relevant continental quaternary records in central Italy: the Plio-Quaternary deposits of the Roman Campaign; the intermontane basins in central Italy (Tiberino and l’Aquila basins).
Programme
Historical definition of Quaternary: paleontological and climatic criteria. Historic excursus on the Plio-Quaternary chronostratigraphy. The Plio-Quaternary boundary. Ages and Stages of the marine Quaternary. GSSP and the most relevant Quaternary marine Italian successions. The Holocene and the ice cores. Historical palaeoclimatology during Holocene. The Anthropocene. The Anthropocene. The Plio-Pleistocene successions in the Rome surroundings. Quaternary isotopic stratigraphy. Sea-level oscillations during Quaternary: the eustatic curves.Quaternary magnetostratigraphy. Quaternary dating methods. Plio-Quaternary marine biostratigraphy: planktonic and benthonic foraminifers, calcareous nannofossils, marine molluscs and ostracods (concept of “northern” and “senegalese” guests).History of the continental Plio-Quaternary stratigraphy. Causes of the Quaternary climatic changes. Astronomical theory of climate changes. Precessional ond obliquity cycles, 40 ka and 100 ka glacial and interglacial cycles. Gelasian and Pleistocene glaciations. The Middle Pleistocene Transition. Illustration of the most relevant glacial deposits on Alps and Apennines.
Plio-Quaternary biochronology based on large and small mammals, freshwater molluscs and non-marine ostracods. Pollen stratigraphy and climatic stratigraphy. Man and industry. Archaeogeological analyses. Examples of relevant continental quaternary records in central Italy: the Plio-Quaternary deposits of the Roman Campaign; the intermontane basins in central Italy (Tiberino and l’Aquila basins).
Core Documentation
Pdf and copies of recent specialistic scientific publications given by the teacherReference Bibliography
Anderson, D.E., Goudie, A.S. & Parker, A.G., 2007. Global environments through the Quaternary. Oxford University Press, pp. 392. Williams, M., Dunkerly, D., De Deckker, P., Kershaw, P. & Chappell, J., 1998. Quaternary environments. Arnold eds. Andersen B. G. & Borns, H. W. jr, 1994The Ice Age world. Scandinavian University Press. Malatesta A., 1985. Paleobiologia dell’era glaciale. NIS, Roma. Ruddiman, 2008. Earth's climate: past and future. New York: Freeman.Attendance
Frequency is mandatoryType of evaluation
The examination consists in an evaluation interview in order to assess the student acquired knowledge of the topics discussed during the lessons.