ADVANCED TOPICS IN SEDIMENTARY 
   GEOLOGY/GEOCHEMISTRY

Dept. #0423, Course #D50-0
Date & time: TBA
Instructors: Brad Sageman and David Hollander
Average enrollment: 2-5


COURSE DESCRIPTION:  The goals of this seminar are: 1) to provide 
an opportunity for grad and undergrad students working in sedimentary 
geology to debate, challenge, and test key concepts through oral 
presentation and discussion; 2) to create a framework for active 
contact with primary literature in fields relevant to graduate 
student research; and 3) to provide an orientation for new graduate
students in the program.

PREREQUISITES:  Instructor consent

TEACHING METHODS:   Seminar-style discussion sessions
                    Presentation of papers from the literature

METHOD OF EVALUATION:   Presentations
                        Summary report

READING: journal articles selected by faculty and students each quarter


EXAMPLE OF D50 AGENDA, 1998:

   "During this quarter we intend to take up a series of questions that 
Dave and I have identified as the 'hot topics' in the field of paleo-
environmental reconstruction/global change.  We will develop a reading 
list for each topic, and assign papers to individuals who will present 
the papers and lead discussion.  We want to encourage you to do this 
in pairs such that one person takes one side of the issue while the 
other takes the opposite, if possible.  You will have to become familiar 
with the literature first in order to identify the "sides" to an issue, 
then decide who will do what.  You are free to develop your argument with
additional references not read by the whole group."


The Topics
    1) Milankovitch and climate change (current work in the Plio-Pliesto, 
and in older rocks by Fischer, Hinnov, etc. bearing on the question of 
icehouse/greenhouse differences in response of climate-sediment linkages....
what's been done, what's being done, what are we going to do... 
Related questions: (a) Why is there such a slow transition to glacial 
maximum and such a fast transition to maximum interglacial...is there an 
orbital or oceanographic explanation? (b) Relation between Milankovich, 
dust (aridity, desertification, or cosmic cloud) and Oceanic Fe fertilization.


    2) Role of bioproductivity in global climate change - what's been done, 
what's being done, what are we going to do... Related questions: Temporal 
relationships between ice core compositon/chemistry and oceanographic changes; 
relation between dust, CO2 ppm, CH4 ppm. Temperature(greenhouse), sea level 
changes - what's the driver?; Equatorial vs. sub-tropics, tropics vs. temperate 
(gyres), role of high latitiude (Southern ocean); Dust, Fe fertilization, 
nitrogen fixation, new production.


    3) Changing interpretations of Fe-redox (S, P, etc.) chemistry in ancient 
seds (a la Lyons) - what's been done, what's being done, what are we going 
to do... Fe-S chemistry organic and inorganic, differential reactivity, 
linked redox reactions of Fe and Mn, single microorganism (schwenella) able 
to preform decompositon in oxic and anoxic environments


    4) The role of bulk sedimentation rate in OC accumulation - what's been 
done, what's being done, what are we going to do... Also related: sediment 
surface area (monolayer) and pore space as a control on OC accumulation; 
Importance of coast margin to global biogeochemical cycles of carbon, 
nitrogen and phosphorous; Extensive recycling, burial, transport from 
terrestrial domain to abyssal setting, role of storm events, etc.;  Role 
of sedimention rate on microbial processes (not just for promoting burial 
and transition in early diagentic zones) including activity, dormancy, 
dissimilatory function, etc.


    5) The pCO2 - growth rate question: How do we resolve dominant processes 
(Are primary productivity and growth rate equivalent?); Relationship between
epsilon p and other proxies (15N, nutrients, Boron isotopes); Why the 
different calibratons (eutrophic vs oligotrophic), and is there any hope 
for the pCO2 proxy?  Related issue - the "strangelove ocean" hypothesis.