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  3. Environmental Geochemistry

Environmental Geochemistry (ERTH90029)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 6.25Not available in 2024

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Overview

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This course will cover a variety of aspects of environmental geochemistry, including equilibrium processes (thermodynamics, solubility, mineral precipitation, redox reactions), kinetics and rates of reactions, application of geochemical and isotopic tracers to understanding environmental processes, and environmental mineralogy. Applications will include hydrology and hydrogeology, contaminants, weathering and CO2 sequestration, and acid-mine drainage. The course will develop the geochemical tools required to understand processes in these environments.

Intended learning outcomes

This subject aims to:

  • equip students with discipline-specific knowledge and expertise enabling them to take their place as professional geologists in industry or government organisations;
  • to understand the links between chemical and environmental processes in aqueous geochemistry;
  • identify processes operating in natural aqueous systems using natural chemical tracers;
  • describe ways in which contamination can occur and be detected.

Generic skills

  • Exercise critical judgement;
  • undertake rigorous and independent thinking;
  • adopt a problem-solving approach to new and unfamiliar tasks;
  • develop high-level written report and/or oral presentation skills; interrogate, synthesise and interpret the published literature;
  • work as part of a team.

Last updated: 30 January 2024