Dallol hotsprings, Ethiopia, photo by Marco Fulle

 

Geology & Geophysics 301/502b: Introduction to Geochemistry

Spring Semester, 2005, Yale University

 

Details: MWF 9:30-10:20, After CHEM 114 or 118a, and MATH 115a or b; G&G 220b recommended.

Instructors:

Peter Reiners: 2-3761; peter.reiners@yale.edu; office hours: by appt., KGL 211.

Mark Pagani: 2-6275; mark.pagani@yale.edu; office hours: by appt., KGL 220.

Text: Geochemistry: Pathways and Processes, 2nd Ed., McSween et al., 2003, Columbia Univ. Press, 363 pp.

On-line resources: http://www.geology.yale.edu/~reiners/classes/geochem2005.htm

 

Course Logistics

This class is designed to familiarize you with the basic principles of geochemistry and its use in earth science. Readings from the text and supplementary sources will serve as starting points for lectures, so do the reading before the lectures. We will primarily use the text by McSween et al. listed above. However, frequently the readings and more useful information can be found in an on-line Geochemistry text by Bill White (http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/geo455/Chapters.HTML); PDFs of chapters can be downloaded. Occasionally we will provide readings from other sources as well.

 

Since real understanding requires more than just blabbing, there will be approximately seven problem sets that give you a chance to work with the numbers and get some experience dealing with geochemical approaches and problem-solving. These will be due once every two weeks or so. We will have one mid-term exam and one final exam. Grades will be based on the following breakdown: Problem-sets: 40%; Midterm exam: 30%; Final (exam): 30%. Graduate students taking the class (as 502b) will have one additional assigment, probably an additional problem set.

 

Tentative Course Outline

 

Week

Days

Topics

Text Reading

1, R

1/10, 1/12, 1/14

Geochemical classification, element distribution, chemical bonding. Equilibrium in ideal solutions; Ksp’s

MSU Ch’s 1, 2

(White Ch 1)

2, R

1/19, 1/21

Thermodynamics: variables, systems, laws, dealing with T and P

MSU Ch 3

(White Ch 2)

3, R

1/24, 1/26, 1/28

Thermodynamics: phase diagrams, dealing with composition

MSU Ch 9

(White Ch 3.0-3.6.4)

4, R

1/31, 2/2, 2/4

Thermodynamics: more phase diagrams, solid solutions, mixing; Geothermobarometry; Multicomponent systems

MSU Ch 10, Ch 4 thru p. 68

(White Ch 3.8-3.9; Ch 4.0-4.6)

5, P

2/7, 2/9, 2/11

Aqueous solutions, ionic solutions, activities, redox-Eh-pH

MSU Ch 4 p. 69 on.

(White Ch 3.7, 3.10, 6.0-6.2);  MSU Ch 7  p. 124 on.

(White Ch 3.11)

6, P

2/21, 2/23, 2/25

Stable isotopes

MSU Ch 13

(White Ch 9)

7, P

2/28, 3/2, 3/4

Seawater chemistry

MSU Ch 8

(White Ch 15)

3/4/05 (Friday): Midterm Exam, 9:30-10:20 am, KGL 226.

Spring Break: March 5-20

8, P

3/21, 3/23, 3/25

Ocean circulation

MSU Ch 8

(White Ch 15)

9, P

3/28, 3/30, 4/1

Organic geochemistry

MSU Ch 6

(White Ch 14)

10, P/R

4/4, 4/6, 4/8

Trace elements

MSU Ch 12

(White Ch 7)

11, R

4/11, 4/13, 4/15

Radiogenic isotopes, Geochronology

MSU Ch 14, 15

(White Ch’s 8, 10, 11)

12, R

4/18, 4/20, 4/22

Cosmochemistry, Kinetics

MSU Ch 11

(White Ch 5)

13

4/25

Catchup

 

5/5/05 (Thursday): Final Exam: 9:00 am, KGL 226.

 

Problem Sets: There will be 7 or 8 problem sets, due every ~1.5-2 weeks. They will be on these general topics.
  1. Limbering up exercises (general geochemical and mathematical calculations)
  2. Thermodynamics of single component systems
  3. More thermodynamics: geothermobarometry
  4. Ionic solutions and seawater
  5. Trace elements
  6. Stable isotopes
  7. Radiogenic isotopes and Geochronology
  8. Grad student problem set

 

Other good supplementary texts for this course:

On-line: http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/geo455/Chapters.HTML (Note: you can download each chapter, in PDF versions, of this text from this page. Eventually this text will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press.)

Geochemistry: An Introduction, by Albarede, F., 2003, Cambridge, 248 pp.

Introduction to Geochemistry, 3rd Ed., by Krauskopf and Bird, 1995, McGraw-Hill, 637 pp.

The Geochemistry of Natural Waters: Surface and Groundwater Environments, 3rd Edition, by Drever, J.I., 1997, Prentice-Hall, 436 pp.

How to Build a Habitable Planet, by Broecker, W.S., 1998, Eldigio Press, 291 pp.

Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Edited by Butcher, S.S., et al., 1992, Academic Press, 378 pp.

Geochemistry, 2nd edition, by Brownlow, A.H., 1996, Prentice-Hall, 580 pp.

Principles and Applications of Geochemistry, 2nd ed., by Faure, G., 1998, Prentice-Hall, 600 pp.

Global Environment: Water, Air, and Geochemical Cycles, by Berner, E.K., and Berner, R.A., 1996, Prentice-Hall, 376 pp.

Modern Analytical Geochemistry, Edited by Gill, R., 1997, Addison Wesley Longman, 329 pp.

Introduction to Geochemical Modeling, by Albarede, F., 1995, Cambridge University Press, 543 pp.

 

Good web resources for geochemistry:

Bill White’s Isotope course at Cornell: http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/Geo656/656notes.html

Geochem Links: http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/Geochemweblinks.HTML

Chart of the Nuclides: http://datwww.dne.bnl.gov/CoN/index.html

Table of Isotopes: http://ie.lbl.gov/toi.htm