GEOL 233: ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY

GEOL 233: ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY

Stable isotope geochemistry has become a very popular tool for a variety of scientific applications ranging from the analysis of Earth's global elemental cycles to local pollution studies. In particular the fields of ecology and environmental research have seen a rapid expansion in the use of natural abundance isotopes. The course focuses on stable isotope geochemistry of low temperature processes occurring on and near the Earth surface. It considers the natural distribution of five elements, which are also base constituents of living organisms: H, C, N, O, and S. We examine the processes that govern the partitioning of these elements and their isotopes among the bio-, hydro-, litho-, and atmosphere. The course is divided in 3 parts: lecture, laboratory, and seminar. Subject of the lectures are the fundamentals of isotope geochemistry. In the stable isotope laboratory you learn how to process and analyze a variety of geological and environmental samples. The seminars focus on the application of the stable isotope technique in various fields ranging from geology to ecosystem studies. COURSE GOALS 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the processes that affect the partitioning of stable isotopes in natural environments 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the linkages between the earth systems (atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere) and how these can be studied using stable isotopes 3. Develop a general knowledge of field and lab techniques in the field of stable isotope geochemistry

GEOL 233 ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY, 3 credits Thursday 1:00-3:45 pm Andrea Lini (656 0245, [email protected])

SPRING SEMESTER 2011

PART 1 – FUNDAMENTALS OF STABLE ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY JAN 20 JAN 27

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Introductory meeting & Lab visit Stable Isotopes of Interest, Terminology, Fractionation of

FEB 3 FEB 10 FEB 17 FEB 24

stable isotopes : Oxygen and Hydrogen in the Atmosphere and Hydrosphere : Carbon isotopes & the global C-cycle : Nitrogen isotopes & the global N-cycle : Sulfur isotopes & the global S-cycle Take-home Exam

PART 2 – STABLE ISOTOPES: THE PRACTICAL APPROACH MAR 3

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Mass-spectrometry, Sample preparation procedures

Week of MAR 7 :

SPRING BREAK

Week of MAR 14:

Isotope Lab

Week of MAR 21:

Isotope Lab

Week of MAR 28:

Isotope Lab

Week of APR 4 :

Isotope Lab

Week of APR 11 :

Isotope Lab

Week of APR 18 : Isotope Lab Week of APR 25 : Prepping for presentations PART 3 – SEMINARS: CASE STUDIES MAY 5 or TBA :

Presentations & discussion

GRADING: Based on performance on take-home exam (20%), class discussion (10%), and research project (includes lab (25%) term paper (25%), and presentation (20%)).

TERM PAPER AND PRESENTATION: Presentation: 20 minutes max. Class discussion will follow. Term Paper: Length 6-8 double-spaced pages, not including reference list and figures. Use appropriate reference style (will be discussed in class). The topic of the paper will be related to the research project and presentation given in class.