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GEOSC523 Sedimentary Geochemistry
Instructors: M.A. Arthur, L.R. Kump
Text: (handouts, assigned readings from journal articles)
Credits: 2
Short Description: The course introduces students to the kinetics and thermodynamics of low-temperature processes in sediments. Applications to weathering processes, natural waters, and sediment deposition and early diagenesis are examined. The ultimate goal is to develop an understanding and appreciation of the factors that influence the establishment of the sedimentary record of the geochemical evolution of Earth. This background is essential for those students who will pursue studies of imperfectly preserved geochemical and biotic records in sedimentary rocks in order to document the evolution of the biosphere.Outline
| Chemical Weathering and its Sedimentary Record (3-4 Weeks) |
| Introduction |
| Origin of sedimentary rocks |
| Weathering and denudation |
| Controls on denudation rates |
| Weathering regimes |
| Lithological Controls on River Chemistry |
| Element and Isotope Systematics |
| The Sr isotope cycle |
| Ge/Si Cycle |
| Other indicators (e.g., Nd isotopes, Os isotopes, etc.) |
| Inferring Changes in Chemical Denudation During the Cenozoic |
| Pleistocene Variations in Chemical Denudation |
| Redox Reactions and Organic-Carbon-Rich Sediments (8-9 Weeks) |
| Organic C Flux and Preservation |
| Quantitative Treatment of Early Diagenesis of Organic Matter |
| Early Diagenesis of Organic Matter - Redox Reactions |
| Sulfate Reduction: Processes, Rates, Consequences |
| Methanogenesis |
| Early Diagenetic Minerals and Stable Isotope Systematics |
| Carbonates |
| Phosphorites |
| Sulfides |
| Trace Metal Speciation and Fluxes to Sediments |
| Behavior of Trace Metals in Pore Waters and Sediments |
| Geochemistry of Ancient Black Shales: Interpreting the Record |
| Phanerozoic Trends in Sedimentary Mass and Geochemistry (2 Weeks) |
| Reconstructing the Mass and Chemistry of Ancient Sediments |
| Secular Variations in Stable and Radiogenic Isotopes |