The goal of the course is to apply chemical principles to understand the natural (non-living) world around us and appreciate its complexity. Chemistry, often referred to as the central science, concerns matter and the transformations it can undergo. While many aspects of chemistry can be applied to solving various problems relevant to our society, chemistry also offers a convenient framework to understand the complexity of the natural world surrounding us.
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The goal of this course is to apply chemical principles to understand the natural (non-living) world around us and appreciate its complexity.
The chemical principles usually covered in general chemistry, undergraduate inorganic chemistry, and physical chemistry enable us to examine many aspects of the Earth. We will look at the formation of the elements, and describe the reason for the different abundances, and what this means for the Earth’s composition. We will also look at how isotopes can be used as chemical tracers and “clocks”, leading us to insight on the various processes of the Earth, and even our own bodies. Finally, we will see how geochemistry can help us understand, or even combat the many environmental and technological problems that we face.
What you’ll learn:
- How the Earth’s elements are formed
- What determines the elements’ abundances and distribution on Earth
- How can we identify the climate millions of years ago
- How to use isotopes to identify what we eat
- How can we classify something as general as “rocks”, and explain the diversity
- How geochemistry can help be applied to solve environmental/technological problems
Syllabus
Week 1: The formation and distribution of elements in space
Nucleosynthesis I
Nucleosynthesis II
The elements today: chondrites
Week 2: Mineralogy: Just a “rock”?
Silicate minerals
Igneous rocks
Metamorphic rocks
Week 3: Distribution of elements on Earth: Igneous processes
What’s a trace element?
Magma and melting
Melting and crystallization
Week 4: Where the fun begins: Radiogenic isotope chemistry
Dating methods
Tracing methods
Week 5: Stable isotope chemistry I (Basics)
Equilibrium fractionation processes, geothermometry
Kinetic fractionation processes, precipitation
Biological processes
Week 6: Stable isotopes II (Paleoclimatology)
Milankovitch cycles
Paleoclimatology and CO2 levels
Week 7: Geochemistry and our Future
Terraforming and CO2
Helium as a resource
