Undergraduate Course: Environmental Geochemistry of the Earth's Surface (EASC08024)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course focuses on geochemistry of natural waters as imprinted by its interaction with local geology. It takes an integrated view of natural and biological interactions that shape the earth's surface. |
| Course description |
Lecture suite: Controls on geochemistry of natural waters
Introduction, course rationale and environmental context (1) BTN
Controls on the composition of natural waters and classification (2) BTN
Forms of natural dissolved substances in natural waters (3) BTN
Colloids/ mineral surface chemistry surface adsorption reactions (4) BTN
Energy demand for geochemical reactions, reaction pathways and rate determining reactions (5) BTN
Sources of energy for natural reactions in the natural environments (6) BTN
Autotrophic Metabolism: Living off sunlight and inorganic substances (7) - GLC
Heterotrophic metabolism: Living off organic compounds (8) GLC
Organic matter cycling in natural environments (9-11) GLC
Carbonate Chemistry of natural systems: acid rain, ocean acidification, marine carbonates (12-13) RSG
Nutrient processing, transport through land-ocean continuum (N, P, Si) , Global Nitrogen Cascade, coastal eutrophication, redfield ratios, (14-15)- RSG
Carbon cycle in the Anthropocene: the use of stable isotopes, the fate of anthropogenic carbon emission, CO2 fertilisation, stability of carbon reservoirs, marine carbon sequestration (16-17)-RSG
Geochemistry of riverine and near-shore sediments: Elemental and isotopic composition (18-19) RSG
Field & Data module: Sediment and mine water geochemistry
Environmental sampling and analysis (20) BTN & RSG
Designing a field campaign
Sampling
Geochemical data analysis and interpretation
ci: Bio-elements and isotopes 3 hrs
cii: Major and Trace elements 3hrs
ciii: geochemical modelling of porewater profiles
Minewater pollution and treatment (21) (BTN)
Minewater generation, chemistry and classification
Treatment options and design
Weekend residential field trip, data synthesis and reporting (BTN/RSG/GLC).
The course focusses on geochemistry of natural water as imprinted by its interaction with local geology. It takes an integrated view of natural and biological (anthropogenic) interactions that shape the earth¿s surface.Significantly, the approach is based on integrating theoretical geochemistry with practical skills such as (i) data processing and statistical analysis, (ii) geochemical modelling, (iii) environmental remediation.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
| Course Start Date |
21/09/2015 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 18,
Fieldwork Hours 16,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Formative Assessment Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
136 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Exam 50%
Field and laboratory 50%: Samples analysed by technical staff (XRF, ICP-OES) and data distributed for processing and modelling.
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| Feedback |
The course includes laboratory practical sessions for which you will submit written reports. The first of these will be used for formative feedback to allow you to improve on subsequent reports. You will also get on-going feedback from demonstrators during and after practical sessions.
As this is a new course, we plan to hold 1-2 tutorials during exam revision session. During these sessions, we will review the type of questions likely to come up in the exam and discuss how best to tackle them.
In semester 2, the course team will be available to discuss examination scripts.
Examples of feedback can be found here: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teaching-organisation/staff/feedback-and-marking
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 1:30 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Consolidate knowledge of chemical concepts in Environmental Geochemistry
- Be able to integrate theoretical concepts with their practical applications
- Ability to design and carry out a sampling campaign for environmental analysis
- Acquire skills in geochemical speciation modelling
- Be cognisant of skills in Technical report writing, critical appraisal of analytical data and accounting for uncertainties when drawing conclusions, appreciation of assumptions required for modelling.
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Reading List
D. Langmuir: Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
J.I. Drever: Geochemistry of Natural Waters
J.E. Andrews et al: An Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Field design and sampling
Laboratory analysis and statistical data analysis
Geochemical speciation modelling
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Two lectures per week. One practical per week from wks 1-5 |
| Keywords | Environmental geochemistry,Earth's Surface,Aqueous environments,biogeochemistry,minewater chemis |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Bryne Ngwenya
Tel: (0131 6)50 8524
Email: Bryne.Ngwenya@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Nicola Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: Nikki.Muir@ed.ac.uk |
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