Paleohydrology a sedimentological perspective

Paleohydrology: a sedimentological perspective

Description:

Sediments deposited on the continental margin constitute one of the best archives of climate and environmental change. They allow reconstructing past changes in hydrology, including river discharge and glacier variability, at relatively high resolution and on time scales that cover the Holocene and beyond. Interpreting coastal sediment records in terms of past changes in hydrology however necessitates a comprehensive understanding of how these processes are recorded in the physical and chemical properties of the sediments. This course will provide an overview of the processes that deliver terrestrial sediment to the coastal ocean and it will illustrate how sediment archives can be used to reconstruct past change in river discharge, glacier variability and aquatic productivity, with a particular focus on the Patagonian fjords.  

 

Contents

Lectures will cover the following topics: 

  1. General sedimentology: Sediment production (weathering, erosion), transport and deposition in coastal environments (continental margin, river-fed fjords, proglacial fjords). 
  2. Sediment sampling (sediment traps, corers) and analytical techniques.
  3. Sediment core logging techniques: multi-sensor core loggers, XRF and CT scanners.
  4. Age-depth modeling.
  5. Interpretation of multi-proxy sediment records.

Practical exercises may include:

  1. Sediment coring, splitting, and grain-size analysis 
  2. Age-depth modeling using CLAM
  3. Presentation and discussion of multi-proxy sediment records (scientific articles)

 

Methodology

Teaching methods involve a mixture of lectures, guided exercises (group work), and discussion of scientific articles.