Hongrui Zhang: Katalogdaten im Frühjahrssemester 2024 |
| Name | Herr Dr. Hongrui Zhang |
| Adresse | Professur für Klimageologie ETH Zürich, NO G 58 Sonneggstrasse 5 8092 Zürich SWITZERLAND |
| hongrui.zhang@eaps.ethz.ch | |
| Departement | Erd- und Planetenwissenschaften |
| Beziehung | Dozent |
| Nummer | Titel | ECTS | Umfang | Dozierende | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 651-4044-04L | Micropalaeontology and Molecular Palaeontology | 3 KP | 2G | C. De Jonge, T. I. Eglinton, H. Stoll, H. Zhang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kurzbeschreibung | The course aims to provide an introduction to the key micropaleontological and molecular fossils from marine and terrestrial niches, and the use of these fossils for reconstructing environmental and evolutionary changes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lernziel | The course aims to provide an introduction to the key micropaleontological and molecular fossils from marine and terrestrial niches, and the use of these fossils for reconstructing environmental and evolutionary changes. The course will include laboratory exercises with microscopy training: identification of plantonic foraminifera and the application of transfer functions, identification of calcareous nannoliths and estimation of water column structure and productivity with n-ratio, identification of major calcareous nannofossils for Mesozoic-cenozoic biostratigraphy, Quaternary radiolarian assemblages and estimation of diversity indices. The course will include laboratory exercises on molecular markers include study of chlorin extracts, alkenone and TEX86 distributions and temperature reconstruction, and terrestrial leaf wax characterization, using GC-FID, LC-MS, and spectrophotometry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inhalt | Micropaleontology and Molecular paleontology 1. Introduction to the domains of life and molecular and mineral fossils. Genomic classifications of domains of life. Biosynthesis and molecular fossils and preservation/degradation. Biomineralization and mineral fossils and preservation/dissolution. Review of stable isotopes in biosynthesis. 2. The planktic niche – primary producers. Resources and challenges of primary production in the marine photic zone – light supply, nutrient supply, water column structure and niche partitioning. Ecological strategies and specialization, bloom succession, diversity and size gradients in the modern ocean. Introduction to principal mineralizing phytoplankton – diatoms, coccolithophores, dynoflagellates, as well as cyanobacteria. Molecular markers including alkenones, long-chain diols and sterols, IP25, pigments, diatom UV-absorbing compounds. Application of fossils and markers as environmental proxies. Long term evolutionary evidence for originations, radiations, and extinctions in microfossils and biomarkers; evolution of size trends in phytoplankton over Cenozoic, geochemical evidence for evolution of carbon concentrating mechanisms. Introduction to nannofossil biostratigraphy. 3. The planktic niche – heterotrophy from bacteria to zooplankton. Resources and challenges of planktic heterotrophy – food supply, oxygen availability, seasonal cycles, seasonal and vertical niche partitioning. Introduction to principal mineralizing zooplankton planktic foraminifera and radiolaria: ecological strategies and specialization, succession, diversity and size gradients in the modern ocean. Morphometry and adaptations for symbiont hosting. Molecular records such as isorenieratene and Crenoarcheota GDGT; the debate of TEX86 temperature production. Long term evolutionary evidence for originations, radiations, and extinctions in microfossils; evolution of size and form, basic biostratigraphy. Molecular evidence of evolution including diversification of sterol/sterine assemblages. 4. The benthic niche – continental margins. Resources and challenges of benthic heterotrophy – food supply, oxygen, turbulence and substrate. Principal mineralizing benthic organisms – benthic foraminifera and ostracods. Benthic habitat gradients (infaunal and epifaunal; shallow to deep margin. Microbial redox ladder in sediments. Molecular markers of methanogenesis and methanotrophy, Anamox markers, pristine/phytane redox indicator. Applications of benthic communities for sea level reconstructions. Major originations and extinctions. 5. The benthic niche in the abyssal ocean. Resources and challenges of deep benthic heterotrophy. Benthic foraminifera, major extinctions and turnover events. Relationship to deep oxygen level and productivity. 6. Terrestrial dry niches -soils and trees. Resources and challenges - impacts of temperature, humidity, CO2 and soil moisture on terrestrial vegetation and microbial reaction and turnover. Introduction to pollen and molecular markers for soil pH, humidity, leaf wax C3-C4 community composition and hydrology. Long term evolution of C4 pathway, markers for angiosperm and gymnosperm evolution. 7. Terrestrial aquatic environments – resources and challenges. Lake systems, seasonal mixing regimes, eutrophication, closed/open systems. Introduction to lacustrine diatoms, chironomids, testate amoeba. Molecular markers in lake/box environments including paleogenomics of communities. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skript | A lab and lecture manual will be distributed at the start of the course and additional material will be available in the course Moodle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literatur | Key references from primary literature will be provided as pdf on the course moodle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voraussetzungen / Besonderes | Prerequisites: Recall and remember what you learned in introductory chemistry and biology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kompetenzen |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 651-4157-02L | Impact and Drivers of Past Ocean Circulation Change | 2 KP | 2G | H. Stoll, H. Zhang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kurzbeschreibung | The potential for changes in the modern ocean thermohaline circulation remains a major uncertainty in projections of future anthropogenic climate impacts. In this reading course, we examine the paleoclimate evidence for past changes in AMOC intensity, the triggers and sensitivity of AMOC, and the feedbacks. We also explore the longer term evolution of the modern ocean circulation and its effect o | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lernziel | In this course, students will read and discuss scientific literature to understand the past climate feedbacks involving ocean circulation. At the same time, students will become familiar with the indicators (proxies) of past climate and the use of paleo climate models to understand climate processes. By focusing on a single paper or set of papers each week, students will also learn to read deeply and critically and defend their opinions orally, as well as to lead productive and inclusive discussions. The majority of each class period will be employed for discussion of a paper, in which 1-2 students (depending on class size) will provide the context and moderate the discussion based on questions submitted by all students. In the second portion of each class, instructors will provide a brief introduction to the methods used in the paper discussed the subsequent week. All students in the course are required to read the relevant paper each week and upload a discussion question prior to the class, and participate in the discussion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inhalt | The movie "The Day After Tomorrow" depicts dramatic climatic consequences of an abrupt reduction in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). But, is there paleoclimate evidence to support large past variations in the AMOC and other ocean circulation? What are the observed triggers of past changes in AMOC? Is AMOC more easily disrupted under certain climate states? How globally widespread are the climatic impacts of changes in AMOC? How has the long term evolution of continent locations and ocean gateways influenced the system of ocean currents and their stability? Finally, how do changes in ocean circulation drive further climate feedbacks through processes such as ocean carbon storage or high latitude sea ice distribution? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voraussetzungen / Besonderes | Prerequisite 651-4057-00L Climate History and Paleoclimatology or equivalent course confirmed by permission of instructor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kompetenzen |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||