EAS 6216 - Isotope Geochemistry, FALL 2010
 

Syllabus    /    Lecture Schedule & Notes & Reading

TuTh 3:05-4:25, ES&T 1229

Instructor:  Kim Cobb

Office:  2234 EST

Phone:  (404) 894-1992

Email:  kcobb@eas.gatech.edu

Office hours by appointment only.

Goals:

Isotope geochemistry plays an increasingly important role in a wide variety of geological, biological, and environmental investigations. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the principles and applications of isotope geochemistry, and briefly summarize the analytical techniques used in the field. Homework problems will illustrate the applications of isotope geochemistry to real-world environmental problems, while in-class student presentations will enable more in-depth study of a particular isotope system. The students’ interests will help shape the material covered in the course, so the schedule of topics listed below is subject to change.

Student Presentation Guidelines

Required Textbook:
Faure, G. and Mensing, T., 2005, Isotopes: Principles and Applications, 3rd edition, Wiley.

Recommended Textbooks:
Dickin, Alan. P. 1995. Radiogenic isotope geology. Cambridge University Press.
Hoefs, Jochen. 2004. Stable isotope geochemistry. Springer-Verlag.
Criss, Robert. 1999. Principles of Stable Isotope Distribution. Oxford University Press.

Great read:
Burchfield, Joe D. 1990. Lord Kelvin and the age of the Earth. Univ. of Chicago Press.

Grading:
25% Homework
25% Midterm
25% Presentation
25% Final