Environmental Chemistry 2: Biogeochemical Cycles

EART28002 Environmental Chemistry 2: Biogeochemical Cycles 10 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 5 Hugh Coe Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Middle part of Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 <div>In the first part this course the rationale for considering the fluxes and interactions of the main elements and nutrients in the earth system are introduced in a holistic, ‘top down’ and interdependent manner. It includes the necessary descriptions of its major compartments: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, the cryosphere and the lithosphere; and introduces key concepts of reservoirs, fluxes, equilibrium and turnover times. The main cycles are considered,including the carbon, water, sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles as well as a set of key pollutants and their couplings and feedbacks are discussed.In the second part the processing of organic matter at the molecular level through the Earth systems will be explored in more detail. This includes the investigation of how valuable information about the (palaeo) environment and/or environmental processes can be obtained and introduces key concepts such as biomarkers, proxies, diagenesis, isomerisation, preservation through sulfurization and compound specific isotope/radiocarbon analyses. In this part of the course students are introduced to latest developments in organic geochemistry and will develop practical organic geochemical skills.</div>  <div>In the first part this course the rationale for considering the fluxes and interactions of the main elements and nutrients in the earth system are introduced in a holistic, ‘top down’ and interdependent manner. It includes the necessary descriptions of its major compartments: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, the cryosphere and the lithosphere; and introduces key concepts of reservoirs, fluxes, equilibrium and turnover times. The main cycles are considered,including the carbon, water, sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles as well as a set of key pollutants and their couplings and feedbacks are discussed.In the second part the processing of organic matter at the molecular level through the Earth systems will be explored in more detail. This includes the investigation of how valuable information about the (palaeo) environment and/or environmental processes can be obtained and introduces key concepts such as biomarkers, proxies, diagenesis, isomerisation, preservation through sulfurization and compound specific isotope/radiocarbon analyses. In this part of the course students are introduced to latest developments in organic geochemistry and will develop practical organic geochemical skills.</div>  <div> The aim of this course are to provide: 1) an overview of the cycling of key chemicals through the earth system focussing on carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous and key pollutants and their roles within the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere; 2) introduce the reservoir model, concepts such as turnover time and equilibrium, and develop quantitative approaches to assessing budgets and fluxes in global natural cycles; 3) 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>    <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="width: 496px"> On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: </td> <td style="width: 72px"> Developed</td> <td style="width: 66px"> Assessed</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 59px; width: 64px"> ILO 1</td> <td style="height: 59px; width: 432px"> Discuss and interpret the major chemical processes governing the carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus cycles within the earth system compartments.</td> <td style="height: 59px; width: 72px"> X</td> <td style="height: 59px; width: 66px"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 67px; width: 64px"> ILO 2</td> <td style="height: 67px; width: 432px"> Construct reservoir-based models for components of the earth system (biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere and hydrosphere) and calculate properties such as turnover times and equilibrium states.</td> <td style="height: 67px; width: 72px"> X</td> <td style="height: 67px; width: 66px"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 76px; width: 64px"> ILO 3</td> <td style="height: 76px; width: 432px"> Assess organic geochemical information to reconstruct the (paleo) climate conditions and/or impact of environmental processes.</td> <td style="height: 76px; width: 72px"> X</td> <td style="height: 76px; width: 66px"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 66px; width: 64px"> ILO 4</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 432px"> Reconstruct (paleo) sea surface temperatures using a range of organic geochemical proxies</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 72px"> X</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 66px"> X</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 66px; width: 64px"> ILO 5</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 432px"> Analyse the molecular composition of a soil/sediment using organic geochemical techniques and report the results of these analyses to a scientific audience</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 72px"> X</td> <td style="height: 66px; width: 66px"> X</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Syllabus (L= lecture and P=practical): Week 1: L. The carbon cycleP. The concepts of reservoirs, fluxes, equilibrium and turnover timesWeek 2: L. The nitrogen cycleP.  Global nitrogen and the nitrogen cascadeWeek 3: L. The sulphur and phosphorus cyclesP. Sulphur chemistry in clouds and acid rainWeek 4: L. The water cycleP. Water isotopes, past climate and cloud processesWeek 5: L. Production, preservation and degradation of organic matter; the chemical composition of organic matterP. Identification of compounds in a GC chromatogram.Week 6: L: Characterising of organic matter (advances, requirements and limitations); bulk versus biomarkersP. Analyses of a hydrocarbon fraction.Week 7: L. Organic geochemistry and compound specific isotope and radiocarbon analyses; Methane as a carbon source.P. Analyses of the hydrocarbon, acid and polar fractions of an estuary surface sediment.Week 8: L. Biomarkers in the terrestrial and marine environment; Rivers as the ’big integrators’P. Soil organic matter transport along an Arctic transect.Week 9: L. Paleao temperature reconstruction using biomarkers.P. Reconstruction of the tropical sea surface temperatures during the Eocene.Week 10:L. From biomarkers to proxies; Application of biological markers in the Palaeo record.P. Reconstructing sea surface temperatures over the last 10KY and impact on oxidation on alkenone concentrations and UK’37. <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. 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>  1 Written exam 50% 3 Report 50% <table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:500px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Assessment Type</td> <td>% Weighting within unit</td> <td>Hand out and hand in dates</td> <td>Length</td> <td>How, when and what feedback is provided</td> <td>ILO tested</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Report (individual)</td> <td>50%</td> <td>March-April</td> <td>Max 6 pages</td> <td>Written/oral feedback will be given during the final practical</td> <td>3 & 5</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Exam</td> <td>50%</td> <td> </td> <td>1.5 hours</td> <td>Written/oral feedback will be provided in a special session</td> <td>1-4</td> </tr> </tbody></table>  EART27001 Environmental Chemistry 1: Water-solid-air interactions Pre-Requisite Compulsory 1st year Earth & Planetary Science or Environmental Science BSc (Hons) Earth and Plan Scie BSc (Hons) Earth (Geochemistr) Second Year Mandatory MEarthSci (Hons) Ea and Pl Sci MEarthSci (Hons) Earth (Geoch) Second Year Mandatory MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Industr MEarthSci EPS w IE (GeoChem) Second Year Mandatory MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Abroad MEarthSci EPS w YA (Geochem) Second Year Mandatory MEarthSci (Hons) EPS with Res MEaSc (H) EPS w R (GeoChem) Second Year Mandatory -Biogeochemistry - Schlesinger (2005)-Earth System Science - Robert J. Charlson, Michael Jacobson, Henning Rodhe, Gordon H. Orians (2000)-Killips, S. & Killops, V. (2005), Introduction to organic geochemistry, second edition, Blackwell publishing company, Oxford, UK.-Peters, K.E. and Walters C.C. (2005), The Biomaker guide Volume 1, second edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.-Gaines, S.M. Eglinton, G. and RullKutter, J., Echoes of Life, what Fossil Molecules reveal about Earth History, Oxford University Press, New York, USA. Lectures 10 Practical classes & workshops 20 0 70 <figure class="table"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"><tbody><tr><td style="height:68px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:68px;width:85px;">Type</td><td style="height:9.75pt;padding:0cm;width:169.5pt;" width="226">Example student activity</td><td style="height:68px;width:75px;">Total Hours</td><td style="height:68px;width:160px;">New material</td><td style="height:68px;width:104px;">Consolidation and Practice</td></tr><tr><td style="height:39px;width:139px;">Contact time (students are in front of staff)</td><td style="height:39px;width:85px;">Lecture (new material)</td><td style="height:39px;width:75px;">Mostly listening & taking notes (mostly new material)</td><td style="height:39px;width:75px;">10</td><td style="height:39px;width:160px;">10</td><td style="height:39px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Lecture (revision/examples)</td><td>Mostly listening & taking notes (no new material- revision of course)</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td style="height:101px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:85px;">Practical (new material and practice. Typically 25-50% of practical time is spent on new material)</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">Interactive individual or group work (problem solving, experiments, watching demonstrations, describing and interpreting samples, paper-based exercises, computer-based exercises)</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">20</td><td style="height:101px;width:160px;">8</td><td style="height:101px;width:104px;">12</td></tr><tr><td style="height:101px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:85px;">Tutorial</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">Interactive small group work</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:160px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Seminar/examples class</td><td>Working on and discussing questions (here: field seminar)</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Independent study time</td><td style="height:9.75pt;padding:0cm;width:131.5pt;" width="175">Pre/post lecture work</td><td>Reading own notes, re-solving examples, prep work, revisit podcast</td><td>12</td><td> </td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Pre/post practical work/write up</td><td>Complete practical work, prep work, reading feedback</td><td>15</td><td> </td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Studio/workshop time</td><td>Individual or group work (student led)</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table></figure>