The Evolution of Life, Climate, and the Oceans

Throughout this course unit, we will cover several disciplines to provide a review and/or foundational knowledge regarding: the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, as well as—and most importantly—their evolution since the planet’s origin. The disciplines (and major themes) covered will be:

-Paleontology: Evolution, Biochronology and Geological Epochs, Biodiversity, and Past Crises.

-Climatology and Oceanography: How do we study the climate? What roles do the ocean and the Earth’s biosphere play? In light of contemporary global challenges, tools are being developed to better characterize the mechanisms of climate change and their impacts on terrestrial and marine environments—from the past to the future—particularly through changes in biogeochemical cycles on a global scale. Environmental geochemistry will be a key method for characterizing both anthropogenic and natural impacts.

The main objectives are to gain a thorough understanding of how these layers interacted with the geosphere in the past (discussed in greater depth in the HAT102T Geology course) and to learn how to analyze a present-day natural landscape in light of its evolution over geological time.

The goal is to provide a comprehensive review and/or refresher on the prerequisites required of students in the natural sciences (and biology) regarding the evolution of life, climate, and the oceans through a series of examples and/or models illustrating the interactions among them, particularly during major periods of disruption that our planet has already experienced, from the recent past to the very distant past. Through these examples and practical exercises in the classroom or in the field, students are expected to gain a concrete understanding of past changes in biodiversity, climate, and the oceans in order to better grasp and comprehend the societal challenges surrounding the future of biodiversity and climate change.

Fundamentals of Life and Earth Sciences

Recommended prerequisites*:

HAT103T: Introduction to Environmental Science

HAT102T Geology

HAV108B Course: From Organisms to Ecosystems

Continuous assessments (practical work + field trip) and final exam.

• Brief description of the concepts covered in fourth grade:

Using several examples ranging from the recent past (Pleistocene) to the very distant past (Archean), we will show how the climate, the oceans, and biodiversity have evolved over the past 3.8 billion years, while seeking in each case to highlight the complex interactions among them as well as their responses to other possible disruptive factors (e.g., Earth’s geodynamics, extraplanetary).

• Brief descriptions of the lab sessions and the number of hours associated with each session

Practical Sessions (9 hours): A technical and practical approach to relative biochronology (dating) and the reconstruction of paleoenvironments (paleoclimates and ocean dynamics) based on fossil organisms.

Lab (3 hours): Climate/Ocean: An Environmental Geochemistry Approach (stable and radiogenic isotopes, organic and molecular chemistry, physiological geochemistry and climate science, understanding biogeochemical cycles at the global, ecosystem, and community scales, geological cycles, and their ecological significance). Case studies (ocean acidification, coral bleaching, ENSO variations, marine pollution)

Practical Training (3 hours): Support for fieldwork, analysis of data and results, and implementation of the field data collection methodology. Collection of plant samples from various habitats (from lagoons to the sea) and observations of wildlife. Identification and collection of organisms that will be available to future generations of students who will continue this work. Identification of indicators of environmental change. Analysis of the coastline (coastal erosion).

• Description of the topics/hands-on activities covered during your field trip(s) and details on the destinations/sites

The goal is to apply, under real-world conditions, the various techniques and knowledge acquired in the course, namely: using field data (from the Causse to the coast), reconstructing and/or analyzing paleoenvironments or environmental proxies ranging from ancient to very recent (e.g., climate change), understanding paleobiodiversity and its age, and tracking the evolution of these parameters over time (see lab work), then placing them in a broader context as discussed in lectures.

 

Hourly volumes*:

            CM: 3:00 p.m.

            Practical Training: 3:00 p.m.

            Land: 6 hectares