Synopsis

Stratigraphy, a core sub-discipline of Earth Sciences, investigates how rocks are layered in space and time, forming the foundation of the geological timescale. While the geological timescale is often introduced in early Earth Science courses, students rarely get an in-depth understanding of its origin and limitations. This course aims to bridge that gap by exploring the definition and periodic revision of key geological boundaries, such as the Paleocene-Eocene and the K/T boundary. It delves into questions like how we know the ages of the Quaternary glaciations, whether glaciations were synchronous across hemispheres, and how the Quaternary is defined.

The course includes a comprehensive review of how major Cenozoic stratigraphic boundaries were historically defined, how these definitions have evolved into the modern “Global Stratotype Sections and Points” (GSSPs), and the methods used for correlating these sequences. Key biostratigraphic events, isotope shifts, facies changes, and global paleoenvironmental contexts will be discussed in detail for each boundary.

Learning Outcomes

This course aims to:

• Cover the fundamentals of lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and other advanced stratigraphic methods.
• Explore how changes in Earth’s climate and paleoenvironment influence stratigraphic methods, affecting our ability to correlate sedimentary successions.
• Develop an understanding of modern stratigraph

Syllabus

The course consists of eight lectures, delivered in three-hour sessions twice a week over four weeks. Below is a brief summary of each lecture:

• Lecture 1: Fundamental Principles of Stratigraphy
  • Introduction to lithostratigraphy and the development of the geological timescale.
  • Historical context of early stratigraphic principles and their modern applications.
• Lecture 2: Biostratigraphy & Radiometric Dating
  • Overview of biostratigraphy as a relative dating tool.
  • Introduction to radiometric dating methods and how they complement biostratigraphy.
• Lecture 3: Stable Isotopes & Chemostratigraphy
  • Principles of stable isotope analysis (carbon and oxygen).
  • Applications of chemostratigraphy in correlating sedimentary sequences.
  • Introduction to cyclostratigraphy and its significance in dating rock layers.
• Lecture 4: Introducing the Geological Timescale – The K/T Boundary
  • Examination of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K/T boundary).
  • Discussion on the dramatic events marking the end of the Cretaceous and their stratigraphic implications.
• Lecture 5: Eocene-Oligocene Boundary
  • Transition from the greenhouse world of the Eocene to the icehouse conditions of the Oligocene.
  • Impact on the biosphere and oceanography, and challenges in correlating this boundary.
• Lecture 6: Oligocene-Miocene Boundary
  • Key climatic and carbon isotope excursions in the early Miocene.
  • How the base of the Miocene Epoch is defined and correlated globally.
• Lecture 7: Miocene-Pliocene Boundary
  • The Miocene-Pliocene transition and its importance in hominid evolution.
  • Environmental changes marking the appearance of ice in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Lecture 8: Plio-Pleistocene Boundary
  • Definition and controversies surrounding the Plio-Pleistocene boundary.
  • Examination of the Quaternary glaciations and the evolution of Homo sapiens.