The document introduces approaches to reconstructing past environments from geological records, which provide evidence of environmental variation and change over time. Key points include:
1) The geological record reveals periods of both local and global environmental change through features like sediment cycles and extinction events.
2) Fossils are very useful proxies for indicating environmental conditions, and microfossil analysis can provide information about factors like temperature and ocean chemistry.
3) Reconstructing past environments is challenging and uncertain, but tools like isotope analysis of microfossils have improved understanding of global environmental shifts.
Mars exploration has been guided by the search for water. The more complex quest by Mars Science
Laboratory for habitable environments should illuminate the Martian environmental history, and
possibly deliver insights into extraterrestrial life.
Coral Reefs: Challenges, Opportunities and Evolutionary Strategies for Surviv...rsmahabir
Coral reefs are one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on Earth. They are renowned hotspots of species biodiversity and provide home to a large array of marine plants and animals. Over the past 100 years, many tropical regions’ sea surface temperatures have increased by almost 1 °C and are currently increasing at about 1–2 °C per century. Corals have very specific thermal thresholds beyond which their temperature sensitive symbiont Zooxanthellae becomes affected and causes corals to bleach. Mass bleaching has already caused significant losses to live coral in many parts of the world. In the Caribbean, the problem of coral bleaching has especially been problematic, with as much as 90% bleaching in some parts of the Caribbean due to thermal anomalies in some instances. This paper looks at the key role that temperature plays in the health and spatial distribution of coral in the Caribbean. The relationship between coral and symbiont is examined along with some evolutionary strategies necessary to ensure the future survival of coral with the changing climate.
Antarctic climate history and global climate changesPontus Lurcock
Antarctic climate changes have been reconstructed from ice and sediment cores and numerical models (which also predict future changes). Major ice sheets first appeared 34 million years ago (Ma) and fluctuated throughout the Oligocene, with an overall cooling trend. Ice volume more than doubled at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. Fluctuating Miocene temperatures peaked at 17–14 Ma, followed by dramatic cooling. Cooling continued through the Pliocene and Pleistocene, with another major glacial expansion at 3–2 Ma. Several interacting drivers control Antarctic climate. On timescales of 10,000–100,000 years, insolation varies with orbital cycles, causing periodic climate variations. Opening of Southern Ocean gateways produced a circumpolar current that thermally isolated Antarctica. Declining atmospheric CO2 triggered Cenozoic glaciation. Antarctic glaciations affect global climate by lowering sea level, intensifying atmospheric circulation, and increasing planetary albedo. Ice sheets interact with ocean water, forming water masses that play a key role in global ocean circulation.
High scientific demand, sustainable management of sea
resources, assessment and monitoring of pollution sources and of
their environmental impact, urgency to understand how does the
biologic processes link to the Carbon cycle and how do they
impact climate: oceanic biologic parameters (primary production,
biomass, and pelagic populations) are in the depths of vital stakes
for our society sustainable development.
Today, Mercator-Ocean is strongly involved in producing
operational bulletins of the physical “blue” ocean. To use new
requirements, it is going to integrate the forecasting of the living
world seas’ component and become more “green”. A first quasireal
time demonstration phase will be launched in the beginning of
2006. LOBSTER biologic model will be integrated in the Mercator
operational chain. This new stage was made possible thanks to
the Bionuts research/operational collaboration. Five structures
contribute to this project: LEGOS (Toulouse), LEGI (Grenoble),
IPSL/OCEAN and IPSL/LSCE (Paris) and the GIP Mercator-
Ocean. In the News, Patrick Monfray & al. present us this project,
its stakes, as well as some recent results.
The three other Newsletter’s articles present an overview of the
Mercator associated research works on the “biology” thematic.
François Royer & al. are interested on the pelagic species’ spatial
dynamic, unavoidable stage for a better management of the sea
resources.
A toxic bloom of the cyanobacteria, Nodularia
spumigena has been reported in the Baltic Sea. On
July 24, 2003, SeaWiFS captured this view of the
blooming Baltic. (credits NASA)
In the scope of the Bionuts project, Leo Berline & al. have studied the assimilation impact (temperature, salinity, sea level)
on the biologic parameters of coupled biology/physical model. In fact, the confrontation of physical models to biology
constraints has revealed some negative effects of the assimilation scheme on the vertical processes performance. So,
improve them is a crucial stake for the biology/physical coupling.
At last, coupling between biologic and physical models is a great opportunity for Scientists to investigate how does the
dynamic impact the biology. Isabelle Dadou & al. have looked at the Rossby waves influence on the primary production.
Have a very good read!
Mars exploration has been guided by the search for water. The more complex quest by Mars Science
Laboratory for habitable environments should illuminate the Martian environmental history, and
possibly deliver insights into extraterrestrial life.
Coral Reefs: Challenges, Opportunities and Evolutionary Strategies for Surviv...rsmahabir
Coral reefs are one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on Earth. They are renowned hotspots of species biodiversity and provide home to a large array of marine plants and animals. Over the past 100 years, many tropical regions’ sea surface temperatures have increased by almost 1 °C and are currently increasing at about 1–2 °C per century. Corals have very specific thermal thresholds beyond which their temperature sensitive symbiont Zooxanthellae becomes affected and causes corals to bleach. Mass bleaching has already caused significant losses to live coral in many parts of the world. In the Caribbean, the problem of coral bleaching has especially been problematic, with as much as 90% bleaching in some parts of the Caribbean due to thermal anomalies in some instances. This paper looks at the key role that temperature plays in the health and spatial distribution of coral in the Caribbean. The relationship between coral and symbiont is examined along with some evolutionary strategies necessary to ensure the future survival of coral with the changing climate.
Antarctic climate history and global climate changesPontus Lurcock
Antarctic climate changes have been reconstructed from ice and sediment cores and numerical models (which also predict future changes). Major ice sheets first appeared 34 million years ago (Ma) and fluctuated throughout the Oligocene, with an overall cooling trend. Ice volume more than doubled at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. Fluctuating Miocene temperatures peaked at 17–14 Ma, followed by dramatic cooling. Cooling continued through the Pliocene and Pleistocene, with another major glacial expansion at 3–2 Ma. Several interacting drivers control Antarctic climate. On timescales of 10,000–100,000 years, insolation varies with orbital cycles, causing periodic climate variations. Opening of Southern Ocean gateways produced a circumpolar current that thermally isolated Antarctica. Declining atmospheric CO2 triggered Cenozoic glaciation. Antarctic glaciations affect global climate by lowering sea level, intensifying atmospheric circulation, and increasing planetary albedo. Ice sheets interact with ocean water, forming water masses that play a key role in global ocean circulation.
High scientific demand, sustainable management of sea
resources, assessment and monitoring of pollution sources and of
their environmental impact, urgency to understand how does the
biologic processes link to the Carbon cycle and how do they
impact climate: oceanic biologic parameters (primary production,
biomass, and pelagic populations) are in the depths of vital stakes
for our society sustainable development.
Today, Mercator-Ocean is strongly involved in producing
operational bulletins of the physical “blue” ocean. To use new
requirements, it is going to integrate the forecasting of the living
world seas’ component and become more “green”. A first quasireal
time demonstration phase will be launched in the beginning of
2006. LOBSTER biologic model will be integrated in the Mercator
operational chain. This new stage was made possible thanks to
the Bionuts research/operational collaboration. Five structures
contribute to this project: LEGOS (Toulouse), LEGI (Grenoble),
IPSL/OCEAN and IPSL/LSCE (Paris) and the GIP Mercator-
Ocean. In the News, Patrick Monfray & al. present us this project,
its stakes, as well as some recent results.
The three other Newsletter’s articles present an overview of the
Mercator associated research works on the “biology” thematic.
François Royer & al. are interested on the pelagic species’ spatial
dynamic, unavoidable stage for a better management of the sea
resources.
A toxic bloom of the cyanobacteria, Nodularia
spumigena has been reported in the Baltic Sea. On
July 24, 2003, SeaWiFS captured this view of the
blooming Baltic. (credits NASA)
In the scope of the Bionuts project, Leo Berline & al. have studied the assimilation impact (temperature, salinity, sea level)
on the biologic parameters of coupled biology/physical model. In fact, the confrontation of physical models to biology
constraints has revealed some negative effects of the assimilation scheme on the vertical processes performance. So,
improve them is a crucial stake for the biology/physical coupling.
At last, coupling between biologic and physical models is a great opportunity for Scientists to investigate how does the
dynamic impact the biology. Isabelle Dadou & al. have looked at the Rossby waves influence on the primary production.
Have a very good read!
How has our climate changed in the past? What caused those changes, and can understanding the Earth’s climate history help us better predict the future? Does the past really matter?
In this seminar course, we will examine these questions through the lens of paleoclimatology, which uses physical and cultural evidence to make inferences about climates of the past. We will review the processes that govern our modern climate and explore what paleoclimate records tell us about how these systems respond to (and express) climate change.
Changing patch dynamics of Cape eelgrass Zostera capensis: impacts of loss on...Joseph Galaske
The cape eelgrass Zostera capensis is an ecosystem engineer endemic to South Africa. Given its rapid decline in recent years, this study aimed to address the following: (1) Do total area and patch dynamics change over time? (2) Do these trends impact patch quality? (3) How does this affect epifaunal communities? Using satellite imagery, we discovered fragmentation and a net loss of 47% in seagrass beds from 2009 to 2015.
Climate Change and Maritime Sector Essay Sampleessayprime
Climate change can be described as a significant and a long lasting transformation in the
statistical distribution of weather patterns over a period of time that range from decades to a
million years (Daufresnea, Lengfellnera and Sommera, 2009). The change may be in terms of
average weather conditions or in the overall distribution of weather around average
circumstances (Durant and et.al., 2007). The climate of earth has been undergoing many changes
throughout the course of history. Most of the climatic changes are attributed to small variations
in the orbit of earth that brings significant alteration in the amount of solar energy received by
planet. However the current climatic change has been on account of human induced variations
that have been proceeding at an unprecedented rate in the past 1300 years (Millien and et.al.,
2006). These climatic changes have posed a huge impact on the overall ecosystem as well as
many economic activities. The activity carried out by maritime sector happens to be one such
area which is required to be given a due emphasis.
How has our climate changed in the past? What caused those changes, and can understanding the Earth’s climate history help us better predict the future? Does the past really matter?
In this seminar course, we will examine these questions through the lens of paleoclimatology, which uses physical and cultural evidence to make inferences about climates of the past. We will review the processes that govern our modern climate and explore what paleoclimate records tell us about how these systems respond to (and express) climate change.
Changing patch dynamics of Cape eelgrass Zostera capensis: impacts of loss on...Joseph Galaske
The cape eelgrass Zostera capensis is an ecosystem engineer endemic to South Africa. Given its rapid decline in recent years, this study aimed to address the following: (1) Do total area and patch dynamics change over time? (2) Do these trends impact patch quality? (3) How does this affect epifaunal communities? Using satellite imagery, we discovered fragmentation and a net loss of 47% in seagrass beds from 2009 to 2015.
Climate Change and Maritime Sector Essay Sampleessayprime
Climate change can be described as a significant and a long lasting transformation in the
statistical distribution of weather patterns over a period of time that range from decades to a
million years (Daufresnea, Lengfellnera and Sommera, 2009). The change may be in terms of
average weather conditions or in the overall distribution of weather around average
circumstances (Durant and et.al., 2007). The climate of earth has been undergoing many changes
throughout the course of history. Most of the climatic changes are attributed to small variations
in the orbit of earth that brings significant alteration in the amount of solar energy received by
planet. However the current climatic change has been on account of human induced variations
that have been proceeding at an unprecedented rate in the past 1300 years (Millien and et.al.,
2006). These climatic changes have posed a huge impact on the overall ecosystem as well as
many economic activities. The activity carried out by maritime sector happens to be one such
area which is required to be given a due emphasis.
Tropical coral reefs cover an area of over 284 000 km2, providing habitat for thousands of species and yielding more than US$ 30 billion annually in global goods and services, such as coastline protection, tourism and food. Corals reefs are now threatened by the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, while warmer sea temperatures are disturbing the delicate symbiosis between coral organisms and algae. For example, 16 per cent of all tropical coral reefs were killed off by thermal stress during a single extreme El Niño–Southern Oscillation event in 1997–1998. As a result of escalating atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, more of this gas is being dissolved in the world’s oceans. This has already reduced ocean pH and the trend is projected to continue. Moreover, the altered ocean chemistry is expected to have major corrosive effects on marine ecosystems and to alter the calcification rates of corals, phytoplankton and other species.
A sequence of slides detailing a preliminary study for age dating (biostrat) the Enjefa Beach succession in Kuwait. The sedimentology of the cliff section is that of Dr Saifullah Khan Tanoli and acts as the framework. The description of the modern day Beach Rock is by S Crittenden
Required Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/news/current.html
https://www.congress.gov/
https://www.congress.gov/legislative-process
Geobiology is the study of the interactions that occur between the biosphere and the geosphere. It must include elements of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the lithosphere. When I looked up geobiology a lot of the articles came up about climate change.
Geologists think of the last 50 million years as the recent past, both because they represents only about one percent of the age of the earth. As well as because plate tectonics, the geologic process that controls conditions within the solid part of the earth, has operated without major change during that time period. This is the time period that is most relevant to gaining insights about earth’s climate. Which can be applied to the present-day global warming. Geological record of ancient climate is good. Ancient temperatures can be determined very precisely, because the composition of the shells of corals and other marine organisms varies measurably with it. The plants and animals that lived during a given time and are now preserved as fossils indicate whether the climate was wet or dry. Overall climatic trend has been cooling, from an unusually warm period. This is called the Eocene Optimum. Before like 55-45 million years ago, there was a cool period, colloquially called the Ice Age. It ended just 20,000 years ago. The overall range in temperature was huge it was about 35°F. During the Eocene Optimum it was warm that Antarctica was ice-free. The ice caps did not start to form there until about 35 million years ago. Palm trees grew at high latitudes. As well cold-blooded animals, such as crocodiles, lived in the Arctic. The earth’s climate is highly variable. During the Eocene Optimum and the Ice Age, though in both cases life was more abundant in some parts of the world than in others. The fossil record indicates that forests were common during the Eocence Optimum. But in some areas were vegetated steppes and deserts. While the great glaciers of the Ice Age were lifeless, extremely large mammals inhabited lower latitudes. Some species adapted and others went extinct. Climate during the Ice Age was unstable. Many swings of more than 10°F. The Milankovitch cycles, which is a cycle due to the gravitational influence of the moon and planets. The timing of these swings closely follows regular fluctuations in the tilt of the earth’s axis and the shape of its orbit around the sun. The magnitude can be reliably calculated.
Another article stated that the a changing climate has been the norm throughout the 4.6 billion year history of the Earth. Recent geological past, climate swings have given us repeated glaciations separated by warmer intervals. Climate is intimately connected to the evolution of life, to the erosion and formation of rocks, and even to the generation of mountains. The connections is the transfer of carbon from one place is a process known as.
A tsunami in South Wales? The 1607 flood in the Bristol Channel and Severn Es...Prof Simon Haslett
The flood of 1607 was the worst natural disaster ever recorded in the British Isles. The flood affected most of the South Wales coast from Carmarthenshire in the west to Monmouthshire in the east. On the other side of the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary, parts of Southwest England were also severely affected stretching from North Devon, through to Somerset and Gloucestershire, which together with South Wales amounts to 570 km of coastline. The coastal population was devastated with at least 2000 fatalities according to one of the contemporary sources. In some parts of the coast the population never recovered from the social and economic disaster. But what caused the flood? This seminar looks at historical documentary and geographical fieldwork evidence collected by Professor Simon Haslett and co-workers in proposing that the 1607 flood may have been due to a tsunami.
Getting Published! Exploring strategies, myths and barriers of academic publi...Prof Simon Haslett
Publications are an important aspect of the work of an academic; remaining the principal vehicle through which research is reported, opinions aired, reviews undertaken, and knowledge transferred, and writing is also a useful learning exercise. For many, it also underpins teaching and curricula, means greater success in research grant applications, and a good publication track record is still seen by many institutions as a key recruitment and promotion criteria. Yet traditionally how to get your work published has not been taught, but learnt through trial and error, mainly from rejection by journal editors. This seminar is aimed at inexperienced academic authors and explores and discusses the issues surrounding the strategy and publication of academic work, and addresses some of the myths and barriers that might discourage would-be authors after the research and writing process is complete.
Projection of Wales as an internationally engaged/forward-looking nation.Prof Simon Haslett
Presented at the 'Universities as Global Communities' event at Bangor University on Thursday 13th February 2020. The event was jointly organised by the Learned Society of Wales and Universities Wales, and is part of the 'Wales and the World' series.
Flexible Provision: Rising to Challenges in Learning and Teaching - An Inst...Prof Simon Haslett
Presentation by Professor Simon Haslett at the Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2015 at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen Campus.
A presentation by Professor Simon Haslett (University of Wales) at the International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) on Wednesday 19th February 2014.
Workshop presentation by Professor Simon Haslett at the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David Research, Innovation, Enterprise & Commercialisation Staff Development Day at the Townhill Campus, Swansea, on Monday 16th December 2013.
Keynote presentation by Professor Simon Haslett at the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David Research, Innovation, Enterprise & Commercialisation Staff Development Day at the Townhill Campus, Swansea, on Monday 16th December 2013.
Exploring Links between Research and Teaching in Higher EducationProf Simon Haslett
A presentation by Professor Simon Haslett, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales. The presentation is part of the HEA Research Seminar/Webinar Series, 11th June 2013, at The Higher Education Academy, York. This seminar examines the ways in which research and teaching may be linked in academic practice in Higher Education. It seeks to unravel the various linkages through scholarship, research (both subject-based and pedagogic) and curriculum. The presentation draws upon the presenters’ recent experience as a leader in learning and teaching in Wales, including the activity and contribution of the Research-Teaching Nexus Action Set, and the current challenges to forging and maintaining research-teaching links in Higher Education. He also provides examples of research-teaching links from his own professional practice.
This presentation will help you to think holistically about publishing your research and scholarship. It particularly focuses on targeting publication in academic journals and on the processes for dealing with publication. It is useful for all early stage researchers, whether research students or academic/research staff at the beginning of their career or more experienced staff seeking to develop a publication profile.
Presented at Swansea Metropolitan, University of Wales: Trinity St David on Wednesday 6th March 2013 by Professor Simon Haslett, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wales.
Presentation by Professor Simon Haslett to the Geographical Association at King's College, Taunton, on Tuesday 15th November 2012.
A presentation based on research featured in 'Killer Wave of 1607' as broadcast by BBC2 Timewatch. The flood of that year in the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary was the worst ever recorded in the British Isles. The area affected stretched from North Devon, through Somerset and Gloucestershire, and along the South Wales coast from Monmouthshire to Carmarthenshire, some 570 km of coast! The coastal population was devastated with at least 2000 fatalities according to one of the contemporary sources. In some parts of the coast the population never recovered from the social and economic disaster. Simon and his co-worker have used documentary and fieldwork evidence to propose a new interpretation of its cause as a tsunami. The BBC produced a follow-up Timewatch programme entitled 'Britain’s Forgotten Floods' that followed Simon around the British coastline examining further evidence for tsunami impact.
Presentation by Professor Simon Haslett at the University of the Third Age Mendip Hills Study Day at Draycott, Somerset, on 1st March 2012.
Simon Haslett is Professor of Physical Geography and Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wales.
The talk is based on extracts from S. K. Haslett (2010) Somerset Landscapes: Geology and Landforms. Blackbarn Books. Available from:
https://sites.google.com/site/blackbarnbooks/publications/somerset-landscapes-geology-and-landforms
The 2011 Annual Kelliwic Lecture presented by Professor Simon Haslett at Callington Town Hall, Cornwall, on Sunday 29th May 2011. Simon Haslett is Professor of Physical Geography and Dean of the School of STEM at the University of Wales.
Presentation by Professor Simon Haslett at the Aegean Omiros College, Athens, Greece, on Thursday 19th May 2011. Simon Haslett is Professor of Physical Geography and Dean of the School of STEM at the University of Wales.
Lecture by Professor Simon Haslett at the University of Wales Student Research Conference, Cardiff, on Friday 13th May 2011. Simon Haslett is Professor of Physical Geography and Dean of the School of STEM at the University of Wales.
Presentation by Professor Simon Haslett at the University of Wales, Newport, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) Writing Retreat Workshop at Gregynog Hall, Wales, on Wedmesday 11th May 2011. Simon Haslett is Professor of Physical Geography and Dean of the School of STEM at the University of Wales. He is also Visiting Professor of Pedagogic Research at the University of Wales, Newport.
How to Split Bills in the Odoo 17 POS ModuleCeline George
Bills have a main role in point of sale procedure. It will help to track sales, handling payments and giving receipts to customers. Bill splitting also has an important role in POS. For example, If some friends come together for dinner and if they want to divide the bill then it is possible by POS bill splitting. This slide will show how to split bills in odoo 17 POS.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
The Indian economy is classified into different sectors to simplify the analysis and understanding of economic activities. For Class 10, it's essential to grasp the sectors of the Indian economy, understand their characteristics, and recognize their importance. This guide will provide detailed notes on the Sectors of the Indian Economy Class 10, using specific long-tail keywords to enhance comprehension.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
1. Introduction toEnvironmental Change Professor Simon K. Haslett Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Simon.haslett@newport.ac.uk 7th May 2010
2. Introduction The global environment is transient. No such thing as ‘normal’ environmental conditions. Environmental variation within the historic period, scientific reconstruction of prehistoric environments, and the geological record provide evidence for this. In this presentation, approaches to reconstructing past environments and events are examined.
3. Geological Record The geological record provides information about past or palaeo-environments that is essential for placing the present environment in context, and for predicting future environments. However, in interpreting the geological record it is important to distinguish between evidence that indicates global environmental change rather than local factors.
4. Geological Record For example, through the Phanerozoic (550 Ma-present) the area of the Earth now known as the British Isles has drifted northwards from a high-latitudinal position in the southern hemisphere to its present location in the northern hemisphere. On route, it has passed through many different climatic zones. Therefore, much of the British geological record reflects where the ‘British Isles’ was at a particular time.
5. Geological Record Nevertheless, there are still certain features present. These features are usually more subtle and superimposed on the drift record, which cannot be explained by the drift model. They include: Sediment cycles in the Lower Lias (Jurassic). The deposition of the Chalk. The extinction of many taxa, including the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous (K-T Boundary); and The waxing and waning of ice ages within the last two million years. Evidence for these events are not only found in British geology, but in other countries on other continents, which were in different locations on the globe at the time the events took place. These events indicate periods of global environmental change.
6. Sediment cycles in the Lower Lias (Jurassic) Milankovitch Cycles are evident in geological sequences, such as the alternating limestone and shale of the Lower Lias. Lias-type site; Saltford, Somerset, UK.
7. Deposition of chalk Deposition of calcareous microplankton on seabed. Represents carbon drawdown from atmosphere (sequestration). Chalk is a carbon sink. Contributed to end-Cretaceous global cooling. St. Margaret’s Bay, nr Dover, Kent, UK.
8. K-T Boundary Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) Boundary characterised by lithological and biological change. Iridium spike at the Boundary suggests an extra-terrestrial impact as the cause of global change. Could have produced a ‘nuclear winter’ scenario. Impact crater located at Chicxulub, Mexico. The K-T Boundary section at Bidart, SW France
9. K-T Boundary Extinction event identified at K-T Boundary. E.g. planktonic foraminifera undergo an almost complete faunal turnover. A diverse Cretaceous fauna becomes extinct. Replaced by a reduced number (initially) of Tertiary taxa.
10. K-T Boundary Other organisms also become extinct e.g. dinosaurs. But the impact may have been the final straw only, as chalk deposition and the eruption of the volcanic Deccan Traps in India all coincided with the end-Cretaceous. The K-T Boundary section at Zumaya, Spain (the boundary is in front of the person on the bottom left).
11. Waxing and waning of ice ages Milankovitch Cycles (mainly eccentricity) dictate 100-kyr climate cycles in the mid-late Quaternary. Characterised by long cold stages (glacials) interspersed by shorter warm intervals (interglacials). Glaciation was widespread in high latitudes during many glacial stages, and corresponded to pluvial events in the lower latitudes. Glaciated landscape of the Alps, Switzerland
12. Reconstructing Environments Reconstructing environments from the geological record is fraught with difficulty and uncertainty. The main interpretative method is through the use of environmental proxies, components in rocks or sediment which indicate the depositional environment. Proxies include rock or sediment chemistry, mineralogy or sedimentology. One of the most useful and widely used proxies are fossils.
13. Fossils in the Geological Record Many fossils found in the later geological record are the same or closely related to living organisms. If the environmental parameters required by a modern organism are known, it is not unreasonable to assume that a fossil of the same organism required similar conditions to live. Inoceramid bivalve, Cretaceous, Sopelana, Spain
14.
15. Often abundant and possess niche-specific ecology.Foraminifera (protozoa) Radiolaria (protozoa) Diatoms (algae)
16. Fossils in the Geological Record In addition to direct evidence, such as the presence or absence of a particular species, analysis of the shell of some microfossils can also yield environmental information e.g. geochemistry. For example, isotope analysis of foraminifera shells has revolutionized some aspects of global environmental reconstruction. Isotope analysis may be performed on micro- and macrofossils (e.g. corals, snails), and ice cores.
17. Summary There is no such thing as ‘normal’ environmental conditions. The geological record and reconstruction of prehistoric environments demonstrates this. The geological record is essential for placing the present environment in context. Features and events in the geological record indicate periods of local and global environmental change. Reconstructing environments from the geological record is fraught with difficulty and uncertainty. Fossils are the most useful and widely used indicators of change. Analysis of microfossil shells can also yield environmental information.
18. Further Reading Haslett, S.K. 1994. Planktonicforaminiferalbiostratigraphy and palaeoceanography of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary section at Bidart, south-west France. Cretaceous Research, 15: 179-192. Haslett, S.K. ed. 2002. Quaternary Environmental Micropalaeontology. Arnold, 340pp. (especially chapters 1 and 11). Pickering, K.T. & Owen, L.A. 1997. An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues (2nd Edition). Routledge, 512pp. (read pp. 8-13, 21-26, 32, 39-41, 43-44, Box 2.1, Box 2.2).
19. This resource was created by the University of Wales, Newport and released as an open educational resource through the 'C-change in GEES' project exploring the open licensing of climate change and sustainability resources in the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The C-change in GEES project was funded by HEFCE as part of the JISC/HE Academy UKOER programme and coordinated by the GEES Subject Centre. This resource is licensed under the terms of the Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/). All images courtesy of Professor Simon Haslett. However the resource, where specified below, contains other 3rd party materials under their own licenses. The licenses and attributions are outlined below: The name of the University of Wales, Newport and its logos are unregistered trade marks of the University. The University reserves all rights to these items beyond their inclusion in these CC resources. The JISC logo, the C-change logo and the logo of the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution -non-commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK England & Wales license. All reproductions must comply with the terms of that license.