ANU - STUDYAT - Chemistry of the Earth

Offered By:

Research School of Earth Sciences

Academic Career:

Undergraduate

Course Subject:

Earth and Marine Science

Offered in:

Second Semester, 2010

Unit Value:

6 units

Course Description:

This Course will cover: the origins of the elements, their absolute and isotopic abundances in the solar system; fundamental geochemical controls of elemental distribution within the terrestrial planets; nature of incompatibility-compatibility in various mineral structures and Earth's reservoirs; composition of crust, mantle and oceans, how they formed and changed composition through time; stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry used to understand the time scales of evolution of different reservoirs in the Earth, and tracing the processes that exchange materials between these reservoirs; proxies used for tracking changes in the global carbon cycle, perturbations in the lithosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere system, and climate changes.
Practical classes emphasise geochemical data collection and presentation, and their quantitative evaluation. They include the use of computers and visits to analytical laboratories.

Honours Pathway Option

Additional readings of greater conceptual difficulty requiring an advanced scientific understanding will be made available for students enrolled in the Honours Pathway Option. 20% of the marks available on the exams will be answers to alternate questions for HPO students.
Proposed Assessment: Two theory and one practical examinations

Learning Outcomes:

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand element behaviour in a geological context and how do elements distribute within the Earth and Oceans
2. Distinguish the main Earth's chemical reservoirs, and think in terms of reservoir interaction
3. Plot and compare geochemical data from different rock types and reservoirs
4. Use radiogenic and stable isotopes to trace geological processes and produce age data
5. Understand principles of light stable-isotope geochemistry as applied to problems in environmental earth science
6. Use trace elements and stable isotopes to reconstruct the history of environmental and climatic change in the past.

Indicative Assessment:

Assessment will be based on theory exams and practicals which will separate the Earth and the Ocean component of the course.

Theory exam composed of essay questions to be held at a negotiated time before the mid-semester break, which will mainly cover Earth Chemistry (40% LO 1-4).
Theory exam composed of essay questions to be held at the end of the semester, which will mainly cover Marine Chemistry and Climate (40% LO 1, 4-6).
8 assignments on practicals out of the 10 made available distributed over the entire semester. Practical assignments will focus on handling, representation and calculation of data (20%, LO 3-6)

Workload:

A maximum of 39 hours of lectures and 26 hours of laboratory classes including tutorials

Areas of Interest:

Earth and Marine Sciences

Requisite Statement:

At least one first year GEOL, EMSC or CHEM course

Incompatibility:

GEOL2015

Preliminary Reading:

F Press and R Siever "Earth", Freeman and Company, New York will contain background information for the student not familiar with geology.

Science Group:

B

Academic Contact:

Dr Rubatto

Chemistry of the Earth and Oceans EMSC2015 - Details