Evolution of life, climate, and oceans

Through this EU, several disciplines will be covered in order to provide reminders and/or basic information concerning: the Biosphere, Hydrosphere, and Atmosphere, as well as, and above all, their evolution since the planet's origins. The disciplines (and major themes) covered will be:

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

-Climatology and Oceanography: How can we study the climate? What is the role of the ocean and the terrestrial biosphere? In response to 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 footprints.

The main objectives are to gain a thorough understanding of how these envelopes interacted with the geosphere in the past (covered in greater depth in EU HAT102T Geology) and to learn how to analyze a current natural landscape in terms of its evolution over geological time.

The objective is to provide a comprehensive review and/or update of the prerequisites required of students with a natural science (and biology) background on the evolution of life, climate, and oceans through a series of examples and/or models illustrating the interactions between them, particularly during periods of major disruption that our planet has experienced in the recent and distant past. Through these examples and practical work in the classroom or in the field, students are expected to gain a concrete understanding of past changes in biodiversity, climate, and oceans in order to better grasp and understand the societal challenges facing the future of biodiversity and climate change.

Fundamentals of Life and Earth Sciences

Recommended prerequisites:

HAT103T Introduction to Environmental Sciences

HAT102T Geology

HAV108B EU Organisms in Ecosystems

Continuous assessments (homework assignments + field trips) and final exam.

• Brief description of the concepts covered in CM:

Through several examples drawn from the recent past (Pleistocene) to the very distant past (Archean), we will show how the climate, oceans, and biodiversity have evolved over the last 3.8 billion years, attempting each time to highlight the complex interactions between them and their responses to other possible disruptive factors (e.g., terrestrial geodynamics, extraterrestrial factors).

• Brief description of practical sessions and number of hours associated with each session

Labs (9 hours): Technical and practical approach to relative biochronology (dating) and paleoenvironment reconstruction (paleoclimates & ocean dynamics) based on fossil organisms.

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

Practical work (3 hours): Fieldwork support, data/results analysis, implementation of field data collection methodology. Plant sampling from different environments (lagoons to sea) and wildlife observations. 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/activities covered during your field trip(s) and details of the destinations/sites

The objective is to put into practice, in real-world conditions, the various techniques and knowledge acquired in the EU, namely: using field data (between Causse and Littoral), reconstruct and/or analyze paleoenvironments or ancient to very recent environmental proxies (e.g., climate change), understand paleobiodiversity and its age, and track the evolution of these parameters over time (see TP), then place them in a more global context as discussed in CM.

 

Hourly volumes:

            CM: 3 p.m.

            Practical work: 3 p.m.

            Field: 6 hours