Syllabus for Geochemistry (EAS 3620)

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Geochemistry

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Lectures: L1116 EST - MWF 1:05-1:55 pm
Laboratory: L1155 EST - Th 3:05-5:55 pm

Instructors

        Dr. Martial Taillefert
        e-mail: mtaillef@eas.gatech.edu
        phone: (404) 894-6041
        office: 115 Old CE
        office hours: MWF 2-3 pm.

Teaching Assistants for lab only:

        Stephanie Chow
        e-mail: stephanie.chow@eas.gatech.edu
        phone: (404) 385-4402
        office 1162 EST
        office hours: W 9-11, Th 11-12.

Course Material

Course material will consist of class notes, handouts, and assigned readings. The official textbook of the course is:
  • James I. Drever. 1997. The Geochemistry of Natural Waters: surface and groundwater environments (3rd Ed). Prentice Hall.
    • In addition, the following books may be useful:
  • Werner Stumm and James J. Morgan. 1996. Aquatic Chemistry. Chemical equilibria and rates in natural waters (3rd Ed). Wiley.
  • Kenneth A. Connors. 1990. Chemical Kinetics. The study of reaction rates in solution. VCH Publishers Ltd.
  • Jerald L. Schnoor. 1996. Environmental Modeling: Fate and transport of pollutants in water, air, and soil. Wiley.

    • Grading

            One mid-term and one final: 50%
            Homeworks + Labs: 25%
            Written project: 25%

    Course Outline

    Introduction to Geochemistry of Natural Waters
  • Geochemistry and aqueous geochemistry
  • Engineering vs. scientific approach
  • The hydrological cycle
    • Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics
  • Principles of chemical thermodynamics
  • Chemical potential and activity of solutions
  • The equilibrium constant: temperature and pressure effects
  • Kinetics vs. thermodynamics
  • Rates and mechanisms
  • Elementary reactions
    • Acid and Bases
  • The strength of an acid or base
  • pC-pH diagrams: pH as a master variable
  • Buffer intensity and neutralizing capacity
  • Production of acidity in the environment
    • The Carbonate System and pH in Natural Waters
  • Dissolved carbonate equilibrium in closed systems
  • Atmosphere water interactions: Henry’s law
  • Dissolved carbonate equilibrium in open systems
  • Alkalinity changes: the effect of photosynthesis and respiration
  • Equilibrium with carbonate minerals
    • Radiogenic and Stable Isotopes
  • Radioactivity and decay laws
  • Radiogenic Carbon
  • Actinides and their daughters (Thorium, Uranium, Plutonium)
  • Stable isotopes and Rayleigh fractionation
  •  Sr/Rb series in geochemistry
  •  The use of C, N, and S isotopes in biogeochemical cycling
    • Metal Complexation in Aqueous Solutions
  • Hydrolysis of metal ions
  • Competition between protons and metal ions
  • Natural and anthropogenic inorganic and organic ligands
  • Metal ions and ligands: classification of metals
  • Chemical speciation in natural waters: toxicity of heavy metals
    • Precipitation and Dissolution of Minerals
  • The solubility of minerals: clays, hydroxides, carbonates, sulfides
  • The phase rule: components, phases, and degrees of freedom
  • Kinetics of mineral dissolution: weathering
    • Oxidation and Reduction
  • Redox equilibria and the electron activity
  • Electrode potential: the Nernst Equation
  • pe-pH diagrams
  • Redox conditions in natural waters: microbial vs. chemical influence
    • Reactions at the Mineral-Water Interface
  • Adsorption and adsorption isotherms
  • Hydrous oxide surfaces: complexation by H+, OH-, cations and ligands
  • Surface charge and the electrical double layer
  • Effect of surface charge on equilibrium constants
  • Ion exchange reactions in groundwaters

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