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Semester 1

Environmental Geochemistry of the Earth's Surface (EASC08024)

Subject

Earth Science

College

SCE

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

2

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Course Summary

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) fieldwork and sampling design, (ii) data processing and statistical analysis, (iii) geochemical modelling, (iv) environmental remediation.

Course Description

Environmental geochemistry is about the sources, distribution and interactions of chemical species in the earth system, covering rocks, minerals, soil, water and biology. The surface environment has dominant controls on these interactions because the exposure of minerals to water and biology has the effect speeding up many geological reactions. In this course, we focus on natural waters because the mobility and speciation of chemical elements in natural wasters is central to many of the feedbacks that connect geochemical, biological, and geological processes at Earths surface. The course is delivered in the form of lectures, geochemical laboratory practical and field trips, the latter designed to showcase the practical applications of your theoretical understanding. Topics/lectures include (1) Controls on the composition of natural waters and classification, role of colloids and their surface chemistry in contolling water composition, energy demand for geochemical reactions and reaction pathways, metabolic pathways exploited by micro-organisms and higher organisms and their impact on nutrient and organic matter (carbon cycling) in the environment, and material cycling in estuarine environments. One weekend field trip to Keswick (lake district) and a day trip to Seafield Pond (near Dunbar). Taken together, these approaches will equip you with vital skills in (i) field observations, (ii) geochemical analysis coupled with data analysis and modelling, leading to (iii) robust scientific interpretation and professional/scientific reporting.Course content(1) Controls on the composition of natural waters and classification (2) Forms of natural dissolved substances in natural waters (3) Colloids/ mineral surface chemistry surface adsorption reactions (4) Geochemical reactions, reaction pathways and rate determining reactions (5) Sources of energy for natural reactions in the natural environments (6) Autotrophic Metabolism: Living off sunlight and inorganic substances (7) Heterotrophic metabolism: Living off organic compounds (8) Organic matter cycling in natural environments (9) Estuarine Environments10) Estuarine Circulation (11) Estuarine Sedimentation (12) Estuarine Chemistry: Basics (13) Estuarine Chemistry: Metals (14) Estuarine Chemistry: Carbon (15) Estuarine Chemistry: Nitrogen (16) Human Impacts on Estuaries /revisionhttps://path.is.ed.ac.uk/courses/EASC08024_SS1_SEM1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/current/dpt/cxeasc08024.htm Fieldwork There will be two field trips for this course1. Afternoon trip to (Seafield Pond) Dunbar on Tuesday 20/09/2022 leaving 12:00 hrs ( Grant Institute)2. Weekend field trip to Lake District (Keswick) 21st -23rd October leaving 21st; 15:00 hrs (Grant Institute)

Assessment Information

Written Exam 50%, Coursework 50%, Practical Exam 0%

Additional Assessment Information

Assessment DetailsWritten Exam: 50%, Course Work: 50 % based on 4 laboratory reports (20%), field report (30%).There will be an exam in December consisting of a mixture of short answer questions and essay questions. The course work will be based on written reports on each of the practical laboratory carried out during laboratory sessions and the Keswick field trip.RESIT: Student failing the course by not achieving a 40% on the aggregate of course work and exam marks will be offered an exam only resit in August. The resit exam will count for 100% Assessment DeadlinesLaboratory reports should be submitted via Turnitin on the course Learn page by the following dates: Lab reports - 12 noon Thursday of week 8Field report - 12noon Thursday of week 10Assessment and Feedback information can be found at https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/tar19-20.pdf All details related to extensions procedures and late penalties can be found in the School of Geosciences General Information Handbook, which can be found on the Learn UG Student Information Hub.

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