Organic Geochemistry

EART30641 Organic Geochemistry 10 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 6 Bart Van Dongen Unit coordinator Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 <div> This course illustrates the importance that organic matter plays in to the biosphere and geosphere and hence drives the global carbon cycle. Students are introduced to the basic principles of how organic compounds are formed, altered and preserved, will explore the processing of organic matter through the Earth systems and will investigate how specific biomarkers/proxies can be used to obtain valuable information about the (palaeo) environment and/or environmental processes. Students are introduced in to latest developments in organic geochemistry and will develop practical organic geochemical skills.This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.  Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.</div>   <div> This course illustrates the importance that organic matter plays in to the biosphere and geosphere and hence drives the global carbon cycle. Students are introduced to the basic principles of how organic compounds are formed, altered and preserved, will explore the processing of organic matter through the Earth systems and will investigate how specific biomarkers/proxies can be used to obtain valuable information about the (palaeo) environment and/or environmental processes. Students are introduced in to latest developments in organic geochemistry and will develop practical organic geochemical skills.This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.  Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.</div>   <div> The aim of this course is to provide insight into cutting edge organic geochemistry to allow students to develop the skills to reconstruct climate conditions both in space and time using organic geochemical proxies, emphasising the formation, transport and fate of organic compounds and the interpretation of various depositional environments.</div>  On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: <ul> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;"> Reconstruct (paleo) sea surface temperatures using a range of organic geochemical proxies.</li></ul><ul> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;"> Synthesise organic geochemical information to reconstruct the (paleo) climate conditions and/or impact of environmental processes</li></ul><ul> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;"> Analyse the molecular composition of a soil/sediment using organic geochemical techniques</li></ul><ul> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;"> Report the results of organic geochemical analyses to a scientific audience</li></ul>  Syllabus (L= lecture and P=practical):Week 1:    L. Introduction. Organic geochemistry in a historical perspective.P. Identification of compounds in a GC chromatogram.Week 2: L. Chemical composition of organic matter; The different organic compound classes.P. Analyses of a hydrocarbon fraction.Week 3: L. Methods for characterising of organic matter (advances, requirements and limitations); bulk versus biomarkers.P. Analyses of the hydrocarbon, acid and polar fractions of an estuary surface sediment.Week 4: L. Production, preservation and degradation of organic matter; Production, diagenesis, catagenesis, kerogen formation and hydrocarbon generation.P. Immature vs mature hydrocarbon fractions.Week 5: L. Organic geochemistry and compound specific isotope and radiocarbon analyses; Methane as a carbon source.P. Estimating the contribution of Spartina anglica biomass to salt-marsh sediments using compound specific stable carbon isotope measurements + introduction to the GCMS software.Week 6: L. Biomarkers in the terrestrial and marine environment; Rivers as the ’big integrators’.P. Soil organic matter transport along an Arctic transect.Week 7: L. Paleao temperature reconstruction using biomarkers.P. Reconstruction of the tropical sea surface temperatures during the Eocene.Week 8: L. From biomarkers to proxies; Application of biological markers in the Palaeo record.P. Reconstructing sea surface temperatures over the last 10KY.Week 9: L. The involvement of organics in other elemental cycling.P. Impact on oxidation on alkenone concentrations and UK’37.Week 10:L. The use of biomarkers in Archeology and Palaeontology.P. Dairying in antiquity.  <div> <div> Learning during this course unit builds from one week to the next, with a weekly1-hour lecture followed by a 2 hour practical class.  Thus, to be successful, it is essential that students attend every lecture/practical class and revise the previous week's materials between classes. Formative quizzes (KAHOOT’s) provide students with the opportunity to gauge their conceptual understanding of the course material and monitor their own progress through the course, while providing forward feedback. Feedback is immediate, in the form of a discussion of the correct and incorrect answers at the conclusion of the quiz. <div> The lectures are posted as PowerPoint presentations on Blackboard. Students are expected to learn the lecture material primarily by reading this material on Blackboard and to read some carefully selected research articles/books. The practical material is mainly delivered through a number of carefully selected, paper-based exercises. Staff and postgraduate demonstrators are on hand in the classes to guide students through the exercises as they work on them. It is through these exchanges that most formative feedback is delivered. During the practicals interim solutions are posted on the board in timely fashion. At the end of the class all exercises and solutions are discussed.Understanding of the specialist software needed during the assessed coursework (assessed lab practical) will be provided through a 30-45 min introductory practical and a guide to the software will be posted online. Practical chromatograms will be made available via Blackboard so the students can practise using the software in advance of the assessed practical in their own time.</div> </div> </div>   0 Other 50% 3 Report 50%   <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="height: 68px; width: 102px"> Assessment type</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 85px"> % Weighting within unit</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 66px"> Hand out and hand in dates</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 94px"> Length </td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 170px"> How, when and what feedback is provided</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 123px"> ILO tested</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 66px; width: 102px"> Open book assessment</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 85px"> 50</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 66px"> exam period</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 94px"> 3 hours</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 170px"> Written/oral feedback will be provided in a special session</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 123px"> 1 to 4</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 68px; width: 102px"> Report (individual)</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 85px"> 50</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 66px"> W10</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 94px"> Max 4 pages</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 170px"> written/oral feedback will be given during a next practical</td> <td style="height: 68px; width: 123px"> 3 & 4</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   BSc (H) Geol with Plan Sci BSc (H) Geol with Plan Sci Third Year Optional BSc(Hons) Env & Resource Geol BSc(Hons) Env & Resource Geol Third Year Optional BSc(Hons) Environmental Sci BSc(Hons) Environmental Sci Third Year Mandatory BSc(Hons) Geochemistry BSc(Hons) Geochemistry Third Year Mandatory BSc(Hons) Geology BSc(Hons) Geology Third Year Optional MEarthSc(Hons) MEarthSc(Hons) Third Year Optional MEarthSci (H) Geo w Plan Sc MEarthSci (H) Geo w Plan Sc Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Env Sci Year Abroad BSc (Hons) Env Sci year abroad Third Year Mandatory BSc (Hons) Env Sci Industry BSc (Hons) Env Sci Industry Third Year Mandatory Y Killips, S. & Killops, V. (2005), Introduction to organic geochemistry, second edition, Blackwell publishing company, Oxford, UK.<o:p></o:p>Peters, K.E. and Walters C.C. (2005), The Biomaker guide Volume 1, second edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.<o:p></o:p>Gaines, S.M. Eglinton, G. and RullKutter, J., Echoes of Life, what Fossil Molecules reveal about Earth History, Oxford University Press, New York, USA.<o:p></o:p>  Lectures 10 Practical classes & workshops 30 0 60