Geography/Geology 480: Ice Age Earth
Instructor: Mike Benedetti
Office:
220 DeLoach Hall
Phone: 910-962-7650
Email:
benedettim@uncw.edu
Hours: 2:00-4:00
MW, or by appointment.
Course Purpose: This course will investigate records of the ice age during the recent interval of geologic time known as the Quaternary Period (roughly the last 2 million years). Through readings and discussion, and through development of a term paper, students will gain an in-depth knowledge of environmental changes through the Quaternary, including changes in climate, landforms, and biota. Students will gain an appreciation of the main topics addressed by Quaternary scientists and for how the mysteries of the ice ages have been deciphered.
Readings and Discussion: The majority of our course meetings will include discussion of assigned readings. Course readings will be linked to the course web page. The readings may be technical and advanced, but the reading load will be less than 50 pages per week. I expect every student to have read the assignment and to be prepared to discuss the material in class. I may use the following strategies to encourage attendance, participation, and discussion:
- Internet Search. To introduce some of the basic concepts of Quaternary Science, I will ask students to research a topic by performing a web search or reading a web site before coming to class. Students will be asked to report back to the class about their search results.
- Question & Answer. I will begin discussion periods by taking questions about the topic from students. Try to think of questions you could ask about the topic while you are reading the assignment and be prepared to ask them in class.
- Comprehension Quizzes. I may give a short quiz about the reading assignment at the beginning of class. These quizzes will test whether you read the assignment and how well you understood the material. They can also be a starting point for class discussions.
- Graphs and Figures. I will often display a figure from the assigned reading on the projector in class, and ask students to explain what it means. these may be used as part of a quiz or just as a point to begin discussion.
- Final Exam. This class will have a single final exam in class on Monday, Nov. 19. The exam will include 40 multiple choice questions drawn from course readings, in-class discussions, questions raised by students, and information from web sites, videos, and other sources covered in class.
Course Grade: Your final grade will be based on attendance and participation during in-class discussions (20%), quizzes and writing assignments related to the readings (20%), the final exam (20%), the research paper (35%), and the oral presentation of your paper topic (5%).
Term Paper (Potential Topics):
Aside from learning about the Quaternary Period, the main purpose of
this course is to write a research paper and deliver an oral presentation
on the topic to the class . The final paper will be roughly 8-10 pages
long, and will cover a topic of your choosing. The oral presentations,
10-15 minutes each, will be given in class after Thanksgiving break.
Term papers will differ depending on the topic. I encourage you
to arrange your paper into 3-5 main sections that work together to cover
your entire topic. In addition to the main ideas you are discussing,
your paper should include the following components:
- A brief history of research into the topic, describing how our understanding of the topic has evolved and identifying some of the key individuals and studies in developing that understanding. This might be included in the introduction of the paper or while reviewing previous research in the field.
- A discussion of the methods used in addressing the topic, including any innovations in field or lab methods or models that have led to our current understanding. This might be a separate section or might be included in the sections where you discuss previous research in the field.
- A statement of the broader significance of your topic. Does our understanding of the topic help us deal with modern resource use, environmental issues, or future environmental change? This might fit well in the introduction or conclusion of your paper.
- Your paper (and oral presentation) should include at least one figure (a map, graph, chart, or table) that helps to illustrate your understanding of the topic. Be sure to label the figure (Fig.1, Fig. 2, etc.) and refer to it in the text of your paper.
- Your paper should include a list of sources cited including scholarly publications in journals, books and monographs, government reports, or (sometimes) authoritative websites. Use the system of parenthetical references (author, year) found in all the class readings this semester. You can use any bibliographic format you choose for your list of sources -- I don't care if you use APA, ALA, or some other system. I do want to see that your citations are COMPLETE (giving all the required information for each source) and CONSISTENT (same basic format used for every source). A complete reference includes all the authors last names + first initials, the year of publication, the article or chapter title, the book title and book editors (if it is an edited volume of papers), the journal title + volume number (for journals), the book publisher and location (for books), and page numbers for the article or chapter you cite. Here are some examples of complete, consisttent bibliographic citations for several types of sources. These are given using the format of the journal Geomorphology:
- Colby, B.R., 1956. Relationship of sediment discharge to streamflow. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 462-D.
- Eisele, T., 2001. Spring floods leave wake; problems still abound on river. Capital Times, Madison, WI, p. 6. July 12.
- Knox, J.C., 1988. Climatic influence on Upper Mississippi Valley floods. In: Baker, V.R., Kochel, R.C., Patton, P.C. (Eds.), Flood Geomorphology. Wiley, New York, pp. 279–300.
- Knox, J.C., Benedetti, M.M., 1995. Sedimentation associated
with large floods on the upper Mississippi River. Association
of
American Geographers 91st Annual Meeting: Abstracts. Association of American Geographers, Washington, DC, p. 159.
- Mertes, L.A.K., 1994. Rates of flood-plain sedimentation on the central Amazon River. Geology 22, 171– 174.
- Nakato, T., 1981. Sediment-budget study for the Upper Mississippi
River, GREAT-II reach. Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research
Report, vol. 227. University of Iowa, Iowa City. 111 pp.
- Pannell, R.P.R., 1999. Sediment response to large-scale
environmental change: the Upper Mississippi River, 1943–1996. Unpublished
M.S. Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
- Ritchie, J.C., McHenry, J.R., 1990. Application of radioactive
fallout cesium-137 for measuring soil erosion and sediment accumulation
rates and pattern: a review. Journal of Environmental Quality 19, 215–233.
- Theler, J.L., Stevenson, K., 1984. The Middle Woodland study unit in region 6, western Wisconsin. Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center Reports of Investigations, 25. University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. 41 pp.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. St. Paul Water Control Center
Public Web Server. Duration tables: McGregor, Iowa (http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil).
Retrieved November 1, 1999.
Course Schedule:
Dates: Readings / Topics:
Aug 22 Course Introduction
Aug 24 Discussion: What
is the Quaternary?
Aug 27 Readings: Prologue,
Louis Agassiz and the glacial theory
Aug 29 Readings: The triumph
of the glacial theory, Exploring the ice-age world
Aug 31 Presentation: Ice
Age Records
Sep 5 Readings: Prelude
to the Quaternary
Sep 7 Discussion:
Causes and timing of the Quaternary Ice Age
Sep 10 Video: Cracking the Ice Age
Sep 12 Video: Cracking the Ice
Age
Sep 14 Readings: Understanding
the cryosphere
Presentation: Glacier
Mechanics
Sep 17 Discussion: Milankovitch
cycles
Sep 19 Readings: The deep
sea record
Sep 21 Readings:
The deep
sea record
Sep 24 Video: Warnings From
the Ice
Sep 26 Video: Warnings
From the Ice
Sep 28 Readings:
Consequences
of climate change (part 1, pp. 109-123)
Oct 1 Readings:
Consequences
of climate change (part 2, pp. 124-139)
Oct 3 Term
Paper Discussion: Potential Topics
Oct 5 Discussion:
glacial deposits in the USA
Oct 10 Discussion: sea level
change
Oct 12 No Class Meeting
- Read for Monday!
Oct 15 Readings: Quaternary
sea level changes
Oct 17 Readings: Quaternary
sea level changes
Oct 18 Term Paper Discussion:
defining your topic and finding sources
Oct 22 Video: Mystery of the
Megaflood
Oct 24 Video: Mystery
of the Megaflood
Oct 26 Ice Age records
from Wisconsin and North Carolina
Oct 29 Readings: Life
on land
Oct 31 Readings:
Life
on land
Nov 2 Term Paper
Progress Reports: Outline, Bibliography
Nov 5 Readings: Megafauna extinctions
Nov 7 Readings: Megafauna extinctions
Nov 9 Video: Primal
Man
Nov 12 Readings: Human
origins, innovations, and migrations
Nov 14 Readings: Human
origins, innovations, and migrations
Nov 16 Geoarchaeology
case study:
Nov 19 Final Exam (40 mult. choice covering main lecture/discussion topics)
Nov 26 Student Presentations:
Billy Bentley, Ethan Edwards, Eliot Garner
Nov 28 Student Presentations:
Jennifer Jancauskas, Brett Smith
Nov 30 Student Presentations:
Jessica Clifton, Sophie Kelland
Dec 3 Student Presentations:
Teddie Jones, Logan Howard, Carla Gray
Dec 5 Student Presentations:
Denise McCulloch, Matt Dunkle, Chris Tryon
Mon., Dec 10 Final Term Papers Due by 5pm (bring to my office or Geography & Geology office)
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