Marine geochemistry

About this programme

Sediment coring with a Multicorer north of Greenland. Photo credit: Volker Brüchert The course has a quantitative earth system perspective and takes advantage of the tools obtained in geochemical field sampling and data evaluation, isotope geochemistry, and geochemical modeling, but can also be read without these courses. The aim is to provide an advanced course for students in geosciences and marine geosciences with basic knowledge in geochemistry and modeling skills. The course deals with the physical and chemical development of seawater, the biological pump, sediment diagenesis, transport processes in sediments and exchange seabed-ocean and between ocean and atmosphere. You will evaluate and interpret the geological evolution of ocean chemical composition using geochemical tools for palaeooceanographic interpretations. You will also apply box models of geochemical reservoirs for various substances and molecules in dissolved and solid form, manage the geochemical model PHREEQC to evaluate the formation and dissolution of primary and secondary minerals in seawater and sediments, conduct experiments and chemical analyses of sediment cores, and determine the exchange of nutrients and dissolved gases between sediment and seawater. In the field studies, sediment and pore water chemistry is analysed using ICP, chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. Results are reported both in writing and orally within a freely chosen marine geochemical research topic and are reported in writing and orally for a field and laboratory activity report.