Course: Quaternary environments Coordinator: Marc Oliva

 Academic Year: 2015/2016
Course: Quaternary environments
Coordinator: Marc Oliva
Teaching Staff: Marc Oliva
ECTS: 6
Weekly Hours: 2,5 h
Typology: Seminar
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Quaternary. Causes of climate variability. Time scale: short and long-term changes.
Environmental consequences. Morphogenic systems. Global scale, local scale.
Quaternary climate variability. Landforms. Sedimentological evidences. Biological evidences.
Dating techniques. Absolute datings: radiometric, incremental. Relative datings. Chronological
markers.
5. The Quaternary in the Iberian mountains. Mountain ranges. Spatial and temporal impact of glacial
and periglacial processes.
Objectives and skills
Objectives
- Achieve an advanced understanding of the concepts of Quaternary, Pleistocene and Holocene and the
capacity of using the terminology usually used in Quaternary studies.
- Introduce the students to the understanding of the various relationships that occur between global
changes and processes.
- Provide the student with an advanced overview of the techniques commonly used in environmental and
climate reconstructions.
- Provide an advanced knowledge of the Quaternary research in the Iberian Peninsula.
Skills
- Identifying the factors and processed involved in the Pleistocene-Holocene dynamics in different
environments in the Iberian Peninsula.
- Ability to integrate the environmental and climatic evolution occurring at local and regional level within
the global climate system.
- Develop the ability to conduct a preliminary study on paleoenvironmental topics.
References
BELL, M. & WALKER, M. C. J. (2005). Late quaternary environmental change. Physical and Human
Perspectives, Second Edition Prentice Hall, Harlow.
BRADLEY, R.S. (1999). Paleoclimatology: Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary. Academic
Press. England: 348 pp.
LOWE, J.J. &WALKER, M.J. (1997). Reconstructing Quaternary environments. Second Edition.
Prentice Hall, Harlow, England: 446 pp.
READING, H.G.. (1996). Sedimentary environments: processes, facies and stratigraphy. WileyBlackwell, 704 pp.
URIARTE, A. (2003). Historia del Clima de la Tierra. Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno
Vasco: 306 PP.
WALKER, M. (2005). Quaternary dating methods. Wiley-Blackwell: 304 pp.
_______________________________________________________________
Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território ▪ Edifício IGOT - Avenida Prof. Gama Pinto 1649-003 LISBOA ▪ tel.: 21 044 3000
Knowledge evaluation methods and their partial grades
The students will have to make an individual work on a specific topic about the Quaternary evolution in
areas of the Iberian Peninsula, which will be worth 65% of the evaluation. The topic will be discussed in
advance with the Professor.
Thee practical exercises will be proposed during the classes (comments of scientific papers, lectures, 14C
calibration, etc) (10% each).
Active participation in the classroom, seminars or practices will be also evaluated (5%).
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Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território ▪ Edifício IGOT - Avenida Prof. Gama Pinto 1649-003 LISBOA ▪ tel.: 21 044 3000