Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks

In this course students will study: Introduction elements: formation and abundance of the elements, stellar nucleosynthesis, solar system formation, planet formation and differentiation. Isotopes: isotopic fractionation, radiogenic isotopes, geochronology, and stable isotopes. Thermodynamics: the laws and quantities of thermodynamics, Gibbs free energy and predicting reactions, phase diagrams, Aqueous geochemistry: oxidation-reduction, Eh-pH diagrams, and modeling water chemistry. Organic geochemistry: the carbon cycle, freshwater and soils, seawater and marine sediments, coal and petroleum, the origin of life. Geochemistry of Sedimentary rocks: weathering, clay minerals, diagenesis, carbonates. Geochronology: U-Pb, K-Ar, Ar-Ar and other geochronologically significant isotope systems.