INTRODUCTION TO GEOCHEMISTRY                                                                      Dr. E. Grossman
GEOL 451                                                                                                                         Spring, 2003

Syllabus
 
LECTURE: T-TH 11:10-12:25 Halbouty 105
OFFICE HOURS: Halbouty 210 (or my lab, Halbouty 204) M-Th 1:00-2:00, or by appointment (845-0637)

TEXT: Drever, J.I., 1997. The Geochemistry of Natural Waters, 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 436 p.

OTHER READING:

White, W.M., 1997-2001. Geochemistry (on-line textbook)

http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/geo455/Chapters.HTML (save a tree—print double-sided)

Faure, G., 1998. Principals and Applications of Inorganic Geochemistry, 2nd edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

WEB-BASED RESOURCES

Basic Chemical Thermodynamics http://orac.sunderland.ac.uk/~hs0bcl/td1.htm

PHREEQC (Version 2)--A Computer Program for Speciation, Batch-Reaction, One-Dimensional Transport, and Inverse Geochemical Calculations (US Geological Survey) http://wwwbrr.cr.usgs.gov/projects/GWC_coupled/phreeqc/

WEB-PHREEQ: Aqueous geochemical modeling http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/webphreeq/

WebElementsTM Periodic table (professional edition) http://www.webelements.com/

Geochemistry-related links http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/Geochemweblinks.HTML

READING: Reading will be assigned weekly. In addition to Drever, other materials will be used. You are expected to do the reading before coming to class, and are responsible for it on "pop" quizzes.

TESTS:

a) There will be two tests during the semester plus a non-cumulative final exam. Exams will include problems, short answer, and short essay questions, and are tentatively scheduled as follows:

1st exam Thursday, February 13
2nd exam Thursday, March 27
FINAL Friday, May 2, 3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.

b) "Pop" quizzes on recent lecture material, problems, and reading assignments will be given as the need arises. Quiz grades will be used to decide borderline cases.

PROBLEM SETS: Problem sets will be assigned most every week except the week before a test. You must do your own work. Late problem sets will receive half credit if turned in before the next class period. After that, it will receive a grade of zero, but still must be handed in. For each problem set not handed in by the last day of class, your final class grade will be lowered one step (e.g., A --> B, D --> F). In other words, hand in all your problem sets.

LAB: Demonstrations in various labs in the department and computer exercises will be announced.

GRADING (tentative):

Tests (2) 50%
Problem Sets and quizzes 25%
Final exam (non-cumulative) 25%
 
Tentative Course Outline
(W1:6-15 = Author, Chapter:Pages, D = Drever, F = Faure, W = White)

Week 1
1/14. Introduction
What is Geochemistry?
Equilibrium versus Kinetics
1/16. Review of Chemical Principals D2:15-17)
Periodic table and bonding (W1:6-15)
Distribution of elements  

Week 2
1/21. Thermodynamics (F11:155-163; outside reading)
1/23. Thermodynamics (F11:155-163; outside reading)

Week 3
1/28. Thermodynamics (F11:163-170; outside reading)
1/30. Thermodynamics (F11:163-170; outside reading)
 
Week 4
2/4. Thermodynamics (F11:163-170; outside reading)
2/6. Acids and bases (F9:110-127)

Week 5
2/11. pH and the minerals solubility (D10:197-199)
2/13. Test 1

Week 6
2/18 Solubility of salts (F10:130-139; D2:24-26)
2/20. Activity and concentration (D2:26-37)

Week 7
2/25. Carbonate geochemistry (D3:41-67)
2/27. Carbonate geochemistry (D3:41-67)
Week 8
3/4. Mineral stability diagrams and aluminosilicate equilibria (D10:197-213)
3/6. Mineral stability diagrams and aluminosilicate equilibria (D10:197-213)

SPRING BREAK (3/10-3/14)

Week 9
3/18. Oxidation-reduction reactions (D7:129-154)
3/20. Open

Week 10
3/25. Oxidation-reduction reactions (D7:129-154)
3/27. Test 2

Week 11
4/1. Redox reactions in natural waters (D8:159-173)
4/3. Redox reactions in natural waters (D8:159-173)

Week 12
4/8. Weathering and the geochemistry of natural waters (D12:235-246)
4/10. Radioactive isotopes, geochronology, and crustal/mantle mixing (D14:322-325)

Week 13
4/15. Stable isotope geochemistry (Oxygen) (D14:311-322; Grossman, 1999)
4/17. Stable isotope geochemistry (Oxygen) (D14:311-322; Grossman, 1999)

Week 14
4/22. Stable isotope geochemistry (Carbon) (D14:311-322; Karhu, 1999)
4/24. Global geochemical cycles (TBA)

Week 15
4/29. Global geochemical cycles (TBA)
5/2. Final exam

What you should know about plagiarism:

Plagiarism: As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one's own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated. This includes copying paragraphs and even sentences in assigned papers.