Ancient Climates: Greenhouse and Icehouse Worlds

This course examines Earth's climate system across geologic time using an inquiry-driven approach. Students investigate how paleoclimate proxies, including isotopic, sedimentary, and biological records, are used to reconstruct past environmental conditions. The course incorporates analysis of paleoclimate datasets and primary scientific literature to evaluate mechanisms of climate change across multiple timescales. A semester-long research project guides students in developing questions, applying analytical methods, and synthesizing evidence. Emphasis is placed on data interpretation, uncertainty, and integration of multiple lines of evidence and provides a foundation for understanding Earth system processes and their relevance to contemporary climate change. Previously offered as GEOL432.