Teaching materials
This online learning platform will grow over the coming months and years. Stay tuned for upcoming lectures by various experts in their respective fields!
The following lecture series is designed to provide high-quality teaching materials for both teachers and students who are interested in cyclostratigraphy. We start with a general introduction lecture by Frits Hilgen. This introduction will be followed by regularly updated topical lectures by other experts in the field. Each lecture consists of a video file of the lecture, the original slides with figures, the lecture notes and a literature list containing important used references and further reading. All material is free for usage in any medium or format and may be adapted, provided that appropriate credit is given (CC BY-SA 4.0). Feedback will be greatly appreciated.
The Introduction to our lecture series on cyclostratigraphy is given by Frits Hilgen (Utrecht University, The Netherlands). Frits has over three decades of experience and was one of the pioneers in constructing reference astronomical time scales, as well as in disentangling the oscillating paleoclimate dynamics that underpin the observed rhythmic sedimentation patterns. Besides a trailblazer in cyclostratigraphy, Frits is an excellent teacher and a widely-appreciated motivator for young cyclostratigraphers. These qualities make Frits ideally suited to acquaint you with the interdisciplinary world of cyclostratigraphy.
Files for download: video lecture, Powerpoint lecture, PDF file of the lecture including notes and a PDF file with further reading suggestions.
The second lecture on cyclostratigraphy is given by André Strasser (University of Fribourg, Switzerland). André has pioneerd cyclostratigraphy in carbonate systems. André is an excellent lecturer and a widely-appreciated expert in shallow-marine, tropical to subtropical carbonate systems. His talk is inspired by his lecture given for him obtaining the Jean Baptiste Lamarck Medal of the European Geosciences Union in 2021.
Files for download: video lecture, Powerpoint lecture, PDF file of the lecture including notes and a PDF file with further reading suggestions.
The third lecture on cyclostratigraphy is given by Graham Weedon (formerly MetOffice, England). He has advanced cyclostratigraphy in the Jurassic of England and advocates robust time series analyses, prominently in his book 'Time-Series Analysis and Cyclostratigraphy' and recently in his 2022 Earth-Science Reviews paper. Graham is a widely-appreciated expert in power spectra and associated statistical tests. This lecture entitled 'Avoiding false detection of regular cyclicity: Updating the methods for locating confidence levels on power spectra' provides an overview on power spectra and how to determine confidence levels.
Files for download: video lecture, Powerpoint lecture, a PDF file of the lecture including notes, and a reference list.
The fourth teaching item is by David Smith, who advocates for the use of data-similar spectral backgrounds but is critical of the reliance on power spectra in cyclostratigraphy. He argues that while power spectra can offer some advantages, as discussed in his 2023 paper in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (PPP), they also come with significant limitations. To address these issues, he has prepared a guide for applying confidence limits to cyclostratigraphic power spectra. The guide explores key aspects of statistical testing and emphasizes how different methods can lead to varying results. His teaching document, Statistics for Cyclostratigraphic Spectral Analysis: What You Need to Know, provides a critical perspective and is a valuable resource for understanding the statistical nuances of cyclostratigraphy.
File for download: teaching material as .pdf file
