Introduction to the course of Micropaleontology applied to Climate Change.

Importance of Micropaleontology and microfossils for the study of the Earth System. General introduction to microfossils. Planktonic foraminifera, the main evolutionary changes, paleoecology, and index fossils. Introduction to the oceanography of the Mediterranean.

The Geological Time Scale: from Biostratigraphy to Cyclostratigraphy. Introduction to dating methods. Climate change and the forcings that control it.

From the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to the main climate changes documented in the geological record that have impacted ecosystems.

Use of microfossils, with particular reference to planktonic foraminifera, for the study of climate changes in the geological past.

Sampling methodologies and laboratory preparation for micropaleontological analyses using the stereomicroscope. Practical session with the stereomicroscope for the recognition of planktonic foraminifera and paleoenvironmental/paleoclimatic interpretation of the analysed samples. Stable isotope analyses at Geochemistry Laboratory