Marine Biogeochemistry

MNS 482C: Marine Biogeochemistry - Fall 2003

Instructors

August 27-October 17
Henrietta N. Edmonds
Office: L305
phone: x772
email: edmonds@utmsi.utexas.edu

October 20-December 5
Tamara K. Pease
Office: L317
phone: x746

Class schedule and reading assignments

For lecture notes and more information, visit the class Blackboard page (UT EID and password required)

Date Topic Instructor Primary reading other reading Notes

8/27 Introduction: geochemical cycles, distribution of elements Edmonds Libes, ch. 1 Tracers, pp. 1-8; Pilson, chs. 1, 13 Nozaki's table

8/29 Plate tectonics Edmonds This Dynamic Earth (USGS)

9/1 LABOR DAY - no class

9/3 Seawater Edmonds Libes, ch. 2, 3 Pilson, chs. 2, 3

9/5 Seawater II Edmonds Pilson ch. 4

9/8 DISCUSSION: seawater chemistry and geochemical cycles Edmonds Sillen, 1967; Edmond et al., 1979

9/10 Ocean circulation basics Edmonds Pilson pp. 11-16 Libes, ch. 4

9/12 Chemical fundamentals - thermodynamics, equilibria Edmonds Libes, ch 5 Drever, ch. 2 PS 1 due

9/15 Chemical fundamentals - ionic strength, activity, speciation Edmonds

9/17 Chemical fundamentals - redox Edmonds Libes, ch. 7 Drever, chs. 7,8

9/19 Gases: gas laws, solubility, gas exchange Brandes Libes, ch. 6; Tracers, ch. 3 Pilson, ch. 5

9/22 Oxygen, AOU, anoxia Edmonds Libes, ch. 8

9/24 Carbon dioxide: carbonate equilibria, alkalinity Edmonds Libes, ch. 15 Drever, ch. 4; Pilson, ch. 7

9/26 Carbon dioxide II Edmonds PS 2 due

9/29 Carbon dioxide III Edmonds

10/1 DISCUSSION: the role of the oceans in natural and anthropogenic variations in atmospheric pCO2 Edmonds Sigman and Boyle, 2000; Siegenthaler and Sarmiento, 1993; (Archer et al., 1997)

10/3 Nutrients and productivity I Edmonds Libes, ch. 9

10/6 Nutrients and productivity II Edmonds Libes, ch. 10

10/8 Radioisotopes: introduction, radioactive decay, types/sources Edmonds Libes, ch. 28 Tracers, ch. Pilson, ch. 10

10/10 DISCUSSION: techniques for estimating new and primary production Edmonds TBA PS 3 due

10/13 Radioisotopes: carbon-14 Edmonds Tracers, ch. 5

10/15 Radioisotopes: Uranium series Edmonds Tracers, ch. 4

10/17 MIDTERM Edmonds

10/20 Sediments Pease see Blackboard for Pease schedule details and reading

10/22 Sediments Pease

10/24 Sediments/Corg Pease

10/27 Organic matter remineralization/degradation Pease

10/29 Organic matter remineralization/degradation Pease

10/31 DISCUSSION: sediments and/or organic matter Pease

11/3 Stable isotopes Pease

11/5 Stable isotopes II Pease

11/7 Stable isotopes III Pease

11/10 Trace elements Pease

11/12 Trace elements II Pease

11/14 DISCUSSION: trace elements and/or stable isotopes Pease

11/17 Organic geochemistry Pease

11/19 Organic geochemistry II Pease

11/21 Organic geochemistry III Pease

11/24 DISCUSSION on organic geochemistry Pease PAPER DUE

11/26 TBD Pease

11/28 THANKSGIVING BREAK

12/1 Putting it all together in the Gulf of Mexico Pease

12/3 Putting it all together in the Gulf of Mexico Pease

12/5 DISCUSSION on topic(s) of local interest Pease

Updated:

Date	Topic	Instructor	Primary reading	other reading	Notes
8/27	Introduction: geochemical cycles, distribution of elements	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 1	Tracers, pp. 1-8; Pilson, chs. 1, 13	Nozaki's table
8/29	Plate tectonics	Edmonds	This Dynamic Earth (USGS)
9/1	LABOR DAY - no class
9/3	Seawater	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 2, 3	Pilson, chs. 2, 3
9/5	Seawater II	Edmonds		Pilson ch. 4
9/8	DISCUSSION: seawater chemistry and geochemical cycles	Edmonds	Sillen, 1967; Edmond et al., 1979
9/10	Ocean circulation basics	Edmonds	Pilson pp. 11-16	Libes, ch. 4
9/12	Chemical fundamentals - thermodynamics, equilibria	Edmonds	Libes, ch 5	Drever, ch. 2	PS 1 due
9/15	Chemical fundamentals - ionic strength, activity, speciation	Edmonds
9/17	Chemical fundamentals - redox	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 7	Drever, chs. 7,8
9/19	Gases: gas laws, solubility, gas exchange	Brandes	Libes, ch. 6; Tracers, ch. 3	Pilson, ch. 5
9/22	Oxygen, AOU, anoxia	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 8
9/24	Carbon dioxide: carbonate equilibria, alkalinity	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 15	Drever, ch. 4; Pilson, ch. 7
9/26	Carbon dioxide II	Edmonds			PS 2 due
9/29	Carbon dioxide III	Edmonds
10/1	DISCUSSION: the role of the oceans in natural and anthropogenic variations in atmospheric pCO2	Edmonds	Sigman and Boyle, 2000; Siegenthaler and Sarmiento, 1993; (Archer et al., 1997)
10/3	Nutrients and productivity I	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 9
10/6	Nutrients and productivity II	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 10
10/8	Radioisotopes: introduction, radioactive decay, types/sources	Edmonds	Libes, ch. 28	Tracers, ch. Pilson, ch. 10
10/10	DISCUSSION: techniques for estimating new and primary production	Edmonds	TBA		PS 3 due
10/13	Radioisotopes: carbon-14	Edmonds		Tracers, ch. 5
10/15	Radioisotopes: Uranium series	Edmonds		Tracers, ch. 4
10/17	MIDTERM	Edmonds
10/20	Sediments	Pease	see Blackboard for Pease schedule details and reading
10/22	Sediments	Pease
10/24	Sediments/Corg	Pease
10/27	Organic matter remineralization/degradation	Pease
10/29	Organic matter remineralization/degradation	Pease
10/31	DISCUSSION: sediments and/or organic matter	Pease
11/3	Stable isotopes	Pease
11/5	Stable isotopes II	Pease
11/7	Stable isotopes III	Pease
11/10	Trace elements	Pease
11/12	Trace elements II	Pease
11/14	DISCUSSION: trace elements and/or stable isotopes	Pease
11/17	Organic geochemistry	Pease
11/19	Organic geochemistry II	Pease
11/21	Organic geochemistry III	Pease
11/24	DISCUSSION on organic geochemistry	Pease			PAPER DUE
11/26	TBD	Pease
11/28	THANKSGIVING BREAK
12/1	Putting it all together in the Gulf of Mexico	Pease
12/3	Putting it all together in the Gulf of Mexico	Pease
12/5	DISCUSSION on topic(s) of local interest	Pease