Lecture 1: Physical Properties:

-know the major features of the open ocean seafloor

-know the different parts of continental margins (shelf, slope, etc.)
-know the basic principles of echosounding and seafloor mapping
-know the basic principles of satellite altimetry
-know what gravity anomalies are
-know the principle of isostacy

Lecture 2 Plate Tectonics:

-know the different types of plate margins and a geographical example
-know the main factors that control the thickness of sedimentary cover in ocean basins
-know about age-depth relationships and ridge morphology
-know the factors that control sediment thickness

Lecture 3 Geophysical Methods:

-know the concentric layers of Earth (names and depths) based on seismic wave velocity
-know how seismic waves are used to delineate the concentric layers
-know how seismic waves are used to map earthquake epicenters
-know the differences between shallow, intermediate, and deep-focus earthquakes

Lecture 4 Ocean Crust and Hydrothermal Circulation:

-know the difference between oceanic and continental crust (rock types, minerals and major elements)
-know the structure of oceanic crust. You need to know the types of layers, their thickness, and how we
know (Figure 4.1 in Basins)
-be able to list and describe the different lines of evidence for hydrothermal circulation.
-pick one element and know ( i. e., be able to describe the chemical reaction it undergoes, but you do
not need to provide a balanced chemical equation) how it is involved in water-rock interactions
(hydrothermal circulation).

Lecture 5 Sea Level:

-know one of the methods of sea level reconstructions well (e.g., HW #1, basic principles, assumptions,
problems/limitations, example application)

Lecture 6 Surface Ocean Circulation:

-know situations that lead to upwelling and downwelling and examples of each
-know major concepts (e.g., Ekman transport , Coriolis force, geostrophic currents)
-know characteristics of the major surface ocean current systems

Lecture 7 Deep Water:

-know in detail about the formation of at least one intermediate water mass and one deep water mass
-know the characteristics of your choice water mass in terms of salinity, temperature, water depth,
where it comes from, how it forms etc.
-know what thermohaline circulation is

Lecture 8 Biogenic Sediments:

-know the major sediment types by source (origin, make up, where you find them)
-know how biogenic sediments (carbonates and silica) are preserved (HW#2 question)
-know about residence time (what it means and how to calculate it)
Lecture 9 Terrigenous/authigenic seds and post depositional processes:
-know the major sediment groups (e.g., clays, manganese nodules, metal oxides, evaporites, etc)
-know what happens to sediments (carbonates, silicates, clays, and organic matter) after burial.

Lecture 10: Geologic Sampling and Relative Time

-be able to describe a sampling strategy given a specific research objective
-know at least one of the relative dating methods well (basic principles, uncertainties, limitations, and an
example application)

Lecture 12: Absolute dating methods

-know at least one of the absolute dating methods well (basic principles, uncertainties, limitations, and
an example application)

Extra Credit (10 points):

Grad students: Read Fairbanks et al. 1989 (on sakai, in the “Additional Reading” folder)
-The pertaining question will require a short essay answer.

Undergrads:
-There will be one or two questions pertaining to the discussion session.