GEOL 4010 QUATERNARY GEOLOGY

1
GEOL 4010QUATERNARY GEOLOGY

• Instructor
• Dr. Hester Jiskoot
• Room UH C-852
• email hester.jiskoot_at_uleth.ca

2
QUATERNARY last 2,5 million years
Pleistocene
Holocene
0 yr BP
10 000 yr BP
2.5 million yr BP
CLIMATIC SEESAW
3
GLACIATIONS (1)

• MAJOR GLACIATIONS
• 1. Late Proterozoic (800-600 My BP)
• 2. Parts of Ordovician and Silurian (460-430 My
  BP)
• 3. Carboniferous and Permian (350-250 My BP)
• 4. Late Neogene to Quaternary (last 4 My)
• POSSIBLE CAUSES OF EXTENSIVE GLACIATIONS
• Changing continental positions
• Uplift of continental blocks
• Reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere
• Astronomical variations (Milankovitch)

4
Objectives (1)

• You acquire
• Knowledge about Quaternary geology, the
  distribution of glaciers and glacial signatures
  in the landscape.
• Knowledge about Ice Ages and glacier response to
  climate change.
• An understanding of the interaction between
  glaciers and the environment.
• An understanding of discrepancies between
  modelling and geological field evidence.

5
Objectives (2)

• You acquire
• Skills in critically analysing scientific
  literature.
• Skills to interpret the glacial record from
  glacial landforms, sediments and geology and
  other evidence.
• An appreciation of the variety of ways in which
  glacial-geological data can be interpreted.

6
Topics (1)

• Quaternary time line and stratigraphy
• Climate change and ice age theories
• Absolute and relative dating techniques for the
  past 2,5 million years
• Ice core records
• Glacials, Interglacials, Stadials Interstadials

7
Topics (2)

• Glacial isostacy and sea level fluctuations
• Eurasian and North American Ice sheet
  reconstruction
• Glacial erratics and erratic trains
• Quaternary geology, sedimentology and landsystems
• Heinrich events