Course description: This course is designed for graduate and PhD students of the Dept. of Geosciences, whose research directions are related to the issues of paleo-environment and paleo-climate changes. Methodology and application will be included. Topics of methodology cover (1) proxy records in foraminifera, corals, and speleothems; (2) trace records in marine sediments; (3) terrestrial records; (4) U-Th dating methods; and (5) development of new proxies. Applications of paleo-environment and paleo-climate include (1) evolution of Asian monsoon and Indian monsoon; (2) paleo-thermal and –hydrological conditions in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic; (3) climate records in natural archives in the twentieth century and their correlation with instrumental data; (4) environment and climate changes during and since the last glaciation; (5) abrupt climatic events in the Holocene; (6) Quaternary environmental and climatic records.

Text materials: papers, class handouts.
Grading: Report and presentation, 80%; Summary report, 20%.

Syllabus:
1. Introduction.
2. Environmental and climatic proxies in natural archives.
3. Proxy records in carbonates.
4. Proxy records in marine and terrestrial sediments.
5. New climatic proxies.
6. Radiogenic isotope dating techniques.
7. Paleo-climate and paleo-environment in the Asian and Indian areas.
8. Paleo-monsoon.
9. Paleo-thermal and hydrological conditions in oceans.
10. Proxy-inferred climate records in the 20th century and modern instrumental data.
11. Abrupt local, regional and global events in the Holocene.
12. Quaternary environmental and climatic records.
13. Final discussion.