This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

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Readings

Textbooks

Amazon logo Stanley = Stanley, Steven M. Earth System History. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman & Co., 2006. ISBN: 9781429233491.

Amazon logo Kump = Kump, Lee R., James F. Kasting, and Robert G. Crane. The Earth System. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. ISBN: 9780131420595.

Amazon logo Madigan, Martinko, and F. Parker. Brock Biology of Microorganisms. California, US: Benjamin Cummings, 2008. ISBN: 9780132324601.

Amazon logo Hering and Morel = Morel, M. M., and J. Hering. Principles and Applications of Aquatic Chemistry. NewYork, NY: Wiley-Interscience, 1993. ISBN: 9780471548966.

Recommended Readings

Amazon logo Wills, Christopher, and Jeffrey Bada. The Spark of Life. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2000. ISBN: 9780738201962.

Amazon logo Cesare, Emiliani. Planet Earth: Cosmology, Geology and the Evolution of Life and Environment. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1992. ISBN: 9780521409490.

Amazon logo Brock = Broecker, Wallace S. How to Build a Habitable Planet. New York, NY: Eldigio Press, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, 1985 (3rd printing 1998). ISBN: 9780961751111.

Additional readings provided for some lectures.

Weekly Reading Assignments

LEC # TOPICS ASSIGNMENTS
1 Overview of course; what is life? The history of paleontology Geochronology

[Stanley], chapters 1 and 2.

[Kump], pp. 187-195.
2 Formation of matter; time scales of major events in formation of the Universe and Solar System; abundance of elements. Geochronology; introduction to geological processes, rocks and minerals. Planetary accretion and differentiation. Plate tectonics; stratigraphy. Isostasy [Stanley], pp. 129-151 and 177-197.
3 Sedimentary environments; water and life; habitable zone; radiative balance; greenhouse gases. Faint Young Sun  
4 Prebiotic chemistry, nucleic acids, origin of life, panspermia

[Kump], pp. 195-204 and 383-390.

[Stanley], pp. 103-127.

Woese paper for Lec #5 instead of problem set.
5 Cell structure; chemiosmotic theory; transcription, translation; mutation. Molecular evolution. Discussion of Woese paper

[Brock], pp. 29-47, 204-211, and 422-445.

[Kump], pp. 195-203.

[Stanley], pp. 153-175.
6 Aquatic chemistry. Redox chemistry. Energy yield of redox processes [Brock], pp. 103-126 and 645-653.
7 Isotopes; isotopic nomenclature; definition of atm%, ratio, α, δ, ε; how to do simple isotopic calculations including mass balance; CHNOS standards, what they are and the forms that are prepared for analysis; what processes cause isotopic fractionation including C, H and N in OM and C and O in limestones; S in pyrite and sulfate; ballpark δ values of C, O, S in main reservoirs and biomass [Stanley], pp. 221-244.
8 Redox processes, eH/pH diagrams, examples from various environments [Hering and Morel], pp. 421-477.
9 Anoxygenic and oxygenic photosynthesis. Pigments. Carbon fixation. Nitrogen fixation. Nutrient acquisition. Microbes and minerals. Anaerobic metabolisms. Carbon and nitrogen fixation

[Brock], pp. 574-639.

Lindsay: review session
10 Evidence for early life on Earth; stromatolites; microfossils. Microbial sediments [Stanley], pp. 245-270.
11 Geological evidence of photosynthesis and oxygenation. Early atmosphere. Oxygenation of the ocean/atmosphere system. Snowball Earth

[Kump], pp. 207-220 and 230-244.

[Stanley], pp. 273-288.
12 More about fractionated isotopes; how H&O are fractionated in the hydrological cycle; how (roughly) C&H fractionation occurs in lipids. Biogeochemical carbon cycle

[Kump], pp. 147-172.

[Stanley], pp. 273-288.
  Midterm exam  
13 Biomineralization; ediacaran fauna. Evidence of early animals and plants. Animal body plans. Sponges

Prothero, pp. 206-221.

C. Marshall paper for Lec #15
14 Evolution and radiation of photosynthetic organisms

"Keeling Trends" in Eco & Evo 20, 2005.

Heckman et al., Science 293 (2002): 1129.
15 Evolution and radiation of animals (Guest lecturer Charles Marshall)  
16 Reefs and carbonate precipitation through time  
17 Paleozoic time [Stanley], chapters 13, 14, and 15.
18 Mass extinctions  
19 Mesozoic time. Geology and biology. K-T boundary, LPTM. Volcanism, carbon cycle perturbation or impact? Prothero, pp. 410-448 (16).
20 Fossil fuels. Fate of buried organic carbon; petroleum and natural gas occurrence and distribution. Methane hydrates. Holocene climate; abrupt climate change; anthropogenic forcing of climate [Kump], pp. 289-341.
21 Climate oscillations throughout earth history  
22 Molecular microbiology and paleontology. PCR, genomics, trees. Modern microbially-dominated ecosystems  
23 Student presentations  
24 Final exam