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| Semester | spring semester 2019 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Tomaso Bontognali (tomaso.bontognali@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The course will focus on the field of geobiology that deals with detecting signs of microbial life in billion-years-old sedimentary rocks, in order to date the earliest appearance of life on Earth and tell something about the evolution and physiology of these primitive forms of life. The same concepts and methods used to study early life on Earth are essentially used also to look for signs of past life on Mars, in the framework of the ongoing and forthcoming Mars rover missions (e.g., NASA rover Curiosity, ESA rover ExoMars, NASA Rover Mars2020). The lectures will provide an overview of the current state-of-the-knowledge in the field and, mostly with example of case studies, explore different categories of biosignatures, including: microfossils, stromatolites, microbially induced sedimentary structures, biominerals (pyrite, dolomite, microbial clay), biomarkers, and stable isotopes. Some lectures will also discuss the research that is currently done in modern environments that are considered good Mars-analog sites, including microbe-mineral interactions occurring in extreme evaporitic environments and in subsurface environments. |
| Weblink | Physiogeographie und Umweltwandel |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Fachkompetenz Globaler Wandel (Master's degree subject: Geography) Module: Geography and Climatology (Master's Studies: Geosciences) Module: Geology and Mineralogy (Master's Studies: Geosciences) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Science, studiendekanat-philnat@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Geowissenschaften |