GEOL 385 - Environmental Geochemistry

4 hours
The distribution and significance of elements in natural systems, with an emphasis on surficial processes. Origin of the elements through nucleosynthesis, basic principles of inorganic chemistry, minerals as salt products of acid-base reactions, weathering of feldspars and production of clays, chemical processes governing elemental distribution. Major, minor, and trace elements in natural systems. Isotopic geochemistry, including radiogenic growth and decay, geochronology, mass fractionation, and isotopes as tracers of natural processes. Biogeochemical cycles of C, N, and O. Actinide geochemistry and the treatment of nuclear waste. Laboratory consists of a semester-long project on the chemistry of natural waters, and includes analyses for major and trace elements by wet chemistry, spectrophotometric methods, titration, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Offered spring of odd years. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 104. Three lecture periods and one lab period. UG