Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor, lecturer
Simon George
Contact via simon.george@mq.edu.au; 02 9850 4424; 0418 428217
Level 3, Room 329, 12 Wally’s Walk (old E7A)
Send email to book time
Lecturer
April Abbott
Contact via april.abbott@mq.edu.au
Level 3, Room 338, 12 Wally’s Walk (old E7A)
Send email to book time
Lecturer
Martin Kennedy
Contact via martin.j.kennedy@mq.edu.au
Level 3, Room 330, 12 Wally’s Walk (old E7A)
Send email to book time
Lecturer
Stefan Löhr
Contact via stefan.loehr@mq.edu.au
Level 3, Room 334, 12 Wally’s Walk (old E7A)
Send email to book time
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(Admission to MGeoSc or GradDipGeoSc) and GEOS309
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will provide masters students with the foundations of palaeoenvironmental analysis as applied to some key geoscience problems. The unit will have a problem-based approach that focuses on understanding important processes, especially with examples from the Neoproterozoic, Cretaceous and the modern day. We will introduce the fundamentals of ocean circulation, nutrient supply and the carbon cycle. Students will assess the veracity of biogeochemical oceanographic signals, especially with respect to diagenetic overprinting. Box models will be introduced as a means for understanding geochemical and isotopic signals. The unit will cover co-evolution of life and its environment, the effect of bioturbation on sediments, especially across the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary, and the geochemical record of life as expressed through biomarkers. The pros and cons of various proxies used for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironments will be evaluated. The unit will build knowledge about important techniques and methods such as stable and radiogenic isotopes, organic geochemistry and microscopic techniques for assessing sediments and sedimentary rocks. Assignments will build skills in practical and industry applications of this area, including in the energy industry.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Tutorial summaries/questions | 20% | No | 3/8, 14/9, 5/10 2018 |
Assignment 1 | 30% | No | 6th September 2018 |
Assignment 2 | 30% | No | 11th October 2018 |
Oral presentation | 20% | No | 9th November 2018 |
Due: 3/8, 14/9, 5/10 2018
Weighting: 20%
Tutorial summaries/questions: in weeks 1, 7 and 8, there will be 3 x 15 minute "last 15 tests", to be completed before leaving the room. Week 1, 5%. Week 7, 2 x 5%. Week 8, 5%.
Due: 6th September 2018
Weighting: 30%
Assignment 1: The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maxima (PETM)
Due: 11th October 2018
Weighting: 30%
Paper review: Understanding past Earth events
Due: 9th November 2018
Weighting: 20%
Oral Presentations by everyone in the class on individually allocated topics
GEOS920 Palaeoenvironments and biogeochemistry (session 2, 2018)
This unit will provide masters students with the foundations of palaeoenvironmental analysis as applied to some key geoscience problems. The unit will have a problem-based approach and will focus on understanding important processes, especially with examples from the Neoproterozoic, Cretaceous and the modern day. Fundamentals of ocean circulation, nutrient supply and the carbon cycle will be introduced. The veracity of biogeochemical oceanographic signals will be assessed, especially with respect to diagenetic overprinting. Box models will be introduced as a means for understanding geochemical and isotopic signals. The unit will cover co-evolution of life and its environment, the effect of bioturbation on sediments, especially across the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary, and the geochemical record of life as expressed through biomarkers. The pros and cons of various proxies used for the reconstruction of palaeotemperatures will be assessed. The unit will build knowledge about important techniques and methods such as stable and radiogenic isotopes, organic geochemistry and microscopic techniques for assessing sediments and sedimentary rocks. Assignments will be designed to build high level research skills in this area.
This unit is co-taught with GEOS710 Records of palaeoenvironments: life and geochemistry (Master of Research). The lectures are the same, but the assignments differ slightly due to different learning outcomes. There is only one iLearn site for both units.
Web pages and electronic resources
The main unit web page will be on iLearn: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/
iLearn is Macquarie's learning management system. Assignments, hand-outs, and reading material will be available here.
Classes: There will be 13 compulsory lectures/tutorials to introduce the unit and give you a grounding in the theory behind some of the techniques. It is important that you attend these sessions every week, as they include discussion sections, and also problem solving on hard copy handouts. These sessions will not be audio recorded. and will be in 12 Wally's Walk (E7A) 127, Friday 10:00-12:00.
tbc
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No change since 2017