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Course Catalog 1998/99


Environmental Engineering

SBL024 Global Geochemical Cycles 6.0 ECTS credits

TIMEPERIOD:
Quarter II

LANGUAGE:English/Swedish

EXAMINER
Anders Widerlund Univ lekt


PREREQUISITES
SBL001, SBL013, SBL023

COURSE AIM
The aim of the course is to give basic knowledge of the geochemistry of estaurine and seawater and the geochemical processes regulating water quality and how the global geochemical cycles has regulated the composition of the oceans and the atmosphere during geological time.

CONTENTS
Geochemistry of eustaries and marginal marine environments: Classification of eustaries. Geochemical processes in the mixing zone between fresh- and brackish water. Polluted coastal sediments. Porewater geochemistry and the exchange of elements between sediment and water. Geochemistry of the Baltic Sea.
Geochemistry of the oceans: The chemical composition of seawater. Deep-sea sediments. Submarine weathering. Deep-sea hydrothermal activity. Biological processes, the formation of carbonate and diatom ooze. Chemical budgets for individual elements in the ocean.
The applications of stable isotopes in enviromental geochemistry: The distribution of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and sulphur isotopes in natural waters. Examples of environmental studies using isotopes.
Global geochemical cycles: The global geochemical cycles for carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen are discussed. The regulation of carbon dioxide and oxygene during geological time is dicussed. The chemical composition of the atmosphere. Geochemical pathways during the development of the atmosphere.

TEACHING
Lectures.

EXAMINATION
Written examination at the end of the course.
COURSE GRADE SCALE: U, 3, 4, 5

ITEMS/CREDITS
Written exam 6.00ECTS

COURSE LITTERATURE
Butcher, S.S., Charlson, R.J., Orians, G.H. and Wolfe, G.V. (Eds.): Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 1992.

REMARKS


Further information:

Valid for school year 1998/99.
Current version this school year:http://www.luth.se/stuka

Web Editor: Karin.Lindholm@dc.luth.se


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LULEÅ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
University Campus, Porsön, 971 87 Luleå. Tel. +46 (0) 920-91 000, fax +46 (0) 920-91 399
Last edited 1998-12-18