Prerequisites:

First-cycle Bologna degree or a university degree in the natural sciences.

Content (Syllabus outline):

• Earth as a system: system concepts in geosciences
• Geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere
• Global exchange of energy
• Circulation of atmosphere, oceans and the solid Earth
• Origin of Earth and of Life
• Rock-forming minerals and rocks
• Plate tectonics, climate and life
• Geologic time scale and concepts of stratigraphy
• Correlation and dating the rock record
• History of life in Phanerozoic
• Mass extinctions: causes and consequences
• Major global cycles and changes: carbon cycle, silicon cycle, nitrogen cycle, recycling of elements
• Major events in Earth history
• Contribution of sedimentology and palaeontology to Earth system science
• Climate changes
• Anthropocene: human impact on Earth system

Readings:

• Cockell, C. 2008: An introduction to Earth-Life System. Cambridge Uni. Press, 319 pp.
• Cowen, R. 2013: History of Life. 5th Edition. Blackwell Science, 312 pp., Oxford.
• Kump, L. R., Kasting, J. F. & Crane, R. G. 2009: The Earth System, 3rd Edition. Prentice Hall, 434 pp.
• Prothero, D. R. & Dott, R. H. 2004: Evolution of the Earth. McGraw Hill Comp., 524 pp.
• Stanley, S. M. 2005: Earth system history. W. H. Freemann & Co., 567 pp.

Objectives and competences:

The aim of the course is to provide students without prior knowledge of geosciences with a foundational understanding of the Earth as a complex system. The course addresses key topics in Earth system science, a multidisciplinary field, and emphasizes their relevance to palaeobiology and sedimentary geology. Special attention will be given to linking present-day Earth processes with the stratigraphic record of major events in Earth’s geological history.

General competences

• Understanding and application of scientific concepts in the natural sciences.
• Ability to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge.
• Critical thinking and the ability to work with data from various natural science disciplines.

Subject-specific competences

• Understanding the Earth as an interconnected system of spheres.
• Knowledge of the fundamental processes that shape Earth’s surface and interior.
• Understanding the dynamics of plate tectonics and the evolution of planet Earth.

Intended learning outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will:

• gain a fundmental understanding of geological time and the variability of temporal and spatial scales in both ancient and modern geological processes,
• understand the key principles of systemic interactions among Earth’s spheres and their role in global change,
• be able to explain how present-day Earth processes inform the interpretation of the geological past, particularly through the stratigraphic record,
• recognize the relevance of palaeobiology and sedimentary geology in understanding past environmental changes.

Assessment:

Written or oral exam (70 %), written paper (30 %).