The Past 5 Million Years (Spring 2026)
GEOL 5705 - Seminar in Paleoclimate
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Marchitto's seminar courses (archived)
Most are Geological Sciences courses with titles like "Seminars in Paleoclimate". ÌýAsterisks* denote the course "Super-Problems in Quaternary Climate"
- The Past 5 Million Years (Spring 2026)
- CO2 and Milankovitch Mysteries (Spring 2024)
- Greenhouse Forcings and Feedbacks (Spring 2023)
- Past Climate Extremes (Spring 2022)
- Presenter's Choice (Spring 2021)
- Rapid Warming, Ocean Acidification, and Anoxia: Lessons from the Past (Spring 2019)
- Paleoclimate Landmarks and Heroes (Spring 2017)
- Paleoclimate Contributions to the 5th IPCC Report (Fall 2015)
- Glacial-Interglacial CO2* (Spring 2014)
- Glacial Ocean Circulation* (Spring 2010)
- Glacial-Interglacial CO2* (Fall 2008)
- Warm Periods of the Earth's Past (Spring 2007)
- Rapid Climate Change: Holocene to Anthropocene (Spring 2005)
- Recent Developments in Rapid Climate Change Research (Spring 2003)
Course description: This course will entail a weekly seminar-style critical reading of journal articles in paleoclimate (one paper per week, curated by the instructors). This year, we will focus on the 'icehouse' climate of the past five million years, including such facets as: orbital forcing and response; greenhouse gases; ice sheet stability and sea level; human and ecological evolution; and proxy assimilation.
Expectations and grading: During the semester, each student will be required to lead the discussion of two papers. Each presenter will be selected one week ahead of time. Papers may be presented formally or informally, with or without visual aids, according to the presenter's preference. The presenter should touch on the paper's main Problem, Claim, Evidence, and Uncertainties. Presenters should encourage discussion by asking questions of the group. Each week, everyone is responsible for reading the paper and participating in the discussions. Readers should also be prepared to identify and share at least one part of the paper that they had trouble understanding. Grades will be based on overall participation (50%) and on the effort put into the presentations and discussion-leading (50%).
Meets: Wednesdays 3:20-5 pm, SEEC 149
Instructors:Tom Marchitto, tom.marchitto@colorado.edu; Brad Markle, bradley.markle@colorado.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Credits: 2
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Course schedule (updated weekly)
We will only be discussing the papers with names assigned after them; any others are for background. Note that most of the links below must be accessed from a campus computer or via a CU VPN. Refresh your browser if links are missing or broken
January 14: Organizational meeting
January 21: Progression of the ice ages
(Brad and Tom)
January 28:Ìý
(Laurel)
February 4:Ìý
February 11:Ìý
February 18:Ìý
February 25:Ìý
March 4:Ìý
March 11:Ìý
March 18: Spring Break
March 25:Ìý
April 1:Ìý
April 8:Ìý
April 15:Ìý
April 22:Ìý
Some other potential papers (TBD):