GEO375   Environmental  Biogeochemistry

 

Dr. Hongbing Sun                                                        

Office Hour: M:2-3:00 PM, Th:3-4:00PM. I am available for consultation any time I am in my office. However, there are times I may not be in my office.  So it's always a good idea to call before you visit when it is not my office hour. You can also e-mail me if you can't find a time to come in.

Class Time: MWF: 10:20- 11:20.        

Text: Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change, by William H. Schlesinger, 1997. Academic Press.

Purpose: Environmental Biogeochemistry will examine the biogeochemical interactions between the various environmental factors: water, rock, organisms, and atmosphere. The role of humans in changing the basic chemistry of water and the consequences on the environment and particular biological processes will be stressed.   This course will concentrate on the relation between the biosphere and changes in the Earth's environment and atmosphere. The course explores the transfer of energy and nutrients within terrestrial ecosystems and focuses on biogeochemical processes. The course deals with concepts followed by application of these concepts to solve environmental problems. Case studies from various ecosystems will be used to understand ecosystem dynamics. Long-term environmental change and present day ecosystem restoration activities are examined in context of the biotic offsets and land-use change sections. The cycles of some environmental sensitive elements in the natural system will be examined as well. 

Chapter           Topics

Chapter 1.      Introduction

                       A Model for the Earth as a Biogeochemical System

                       Cycles in Biogeochemistry

                       Thermodynamics

                       Gaia

Chapter 2.1. Origins

                        Origins of the Elements

                        Origin of the Solar System and the Earth

                        The Origin of the Atmosphere and Oceans

                        Origin of Life

                        Evolution of Metabolic Pathways

<>                        Comparative Planetary History: Earth, Mars and Venus
 

*Chapter 2.2. Chemical equilibrium

                        Basic concepts and terms

Equivalent Weight, Molaity and Molarity

                        Ions and Ionic Bond, Valency, Concentration, Activity

                        Alkalinity, Acidity,

                        Gibbs equation

                        Equilibrium and equilibrium constant

            Oxygen, DO, and Organic Matters in Natural Water

Chapter 3. The Atmosphere

                       Structure and Circulation

                       Atmospheric Composition

                       Biogeochemical Reactions in the Troposphere

                       Biogeochemical Reactions in the Stratosphere

                       Models of the Atmosphere and Global Climate

<>                       Atmospheric Deposition
 

Chapter  4. The Lithosphere

                       Rock Weathering

                       Soil Chemical Reactions

                       Soil Development

                       Weathering Rates

<>            *          Carbonate system
 

Chapter 5. 1. The Biosphere:The Carbon Cycle of Terrestrial Ecosystems

                       Photosynthesis

                       Respiration

                       Net Primary Production

                       Net Primary Production and Global Change

                       The Fate of Net Primary Production

<>                       Soil Organic Matter and Global Change
 

*Chapter 5.2. Organic Compounds in Natural Water

                        Structural of Natural Organic Solutes

                        Functional Groups

                        Humic Substances

<>                        Organic Pollutants
 

Chapter 6. The Biosphere: Biogeochemical Cycling on Land

                       Biogeochemical Cycling in Land Plants

                       Nutrient Allocations and Cycling in Land Vegetation

*                     Biogeochemical Cycling in the Soil

                       Calculating Landscape Mass-Balance and Responses to Global Change

<>                       Integrative Models of Terrestrial Nutrient Cycling
 

Chapter 7. Biogeochemistry in Freshwater Wetlands and Lakes

                       Redox Potential: The Basics

                       Redox Reactions in Natural Environments

                       Biogeochemistry of “Terrestrial” Wetlands

                       Primary Production and Nutrient Cycling in Lakes

                       Lake Budgets

<>*                     Wetlands and Climatic Change
           

*Chapter 8. Environmental Biogeochemistry of Mercury

                        Anthropogenic Mercury Loading

                        Biological Effects of Mercury

                        Environmental Biogeochemistry of Mercury

<>                        Global Mass Balance of Mercury
 

*Chapter 9.      Biogeochemical Cycles of Lead

                        Anthropogenic Lead Loading

                        Biological Effects of Lead

                        Environmental Biogeochemistry of Lead

<>                        Global Mass Balance of Lead
 

Chapter 10.      The Global Carbon Cycle

                       The Modern Carbon Cycle

                       Temporal Perspectives of the Carbon Cycle

                       Atmospheric Methane

                       Carbon Monoxide

<>                       Synthesis: Linking the Carbon and Oxygen Cycles
 

Chapter 11.  Rivers and Estuaries

                       Soil Hydraulics and Stream Hydrology

                       Stream Load

                       Salt Marshes and Estuaries

<>*                     River Water Chemistry and DO SAG
 

Chapter 12.  The Oceans

                       Ocean Circulation

                       The Composition of Seawater

                       Net Primary Production

                       Sediment Diagenesis

                       Models of Carbon in the Ocean

                       Nutrient Cycling in the Ocean

                       Biogeochemistry of Hydrothermal Vent Communities

                       The Marine Sulfur Cycle and Global Climate

                       The Sedimentary Record of Biogeochemistry

Isotope and paleoclimate

<> 
Chapter 13. The Global Water Cycle

                       Models of the Hydrologic Cycle

                       The History of the Water Cycle

                       The Water Cycle under Scenarios of Future Climate

<> 
Chapter 14. The Global Cycles of Nitrogen and Phosphorus

                       The Global Nitrogen Cycle

                       Temporal Variation in the Global Nitrogen Cycle

                       Nitrous Oxide: An Unbalanced Global Budget

                       The Global Phosphorus Cycle

                        Linking the Global Cycles of C, N and P

                       Nitrogen and Phosphorus in plant growth

<>                       
Chapter 15. The Global Sulfur Cycle

                       Temporal Perspectives of the Global Sulfur Cycle

                       The Atmospheric Budget of Carbonyl Sulfide (COS)

                        *FeS impact

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Chapter 16. A Perspective: What is needed to sustain life on Earth  <>
 

References:

1. Modern Biogeochemistry. V. N. Bashkin, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.

2. The Geochemistry of Natural Waters: Surface and Groundwater Environments. Drever, 1997.   Prentice Hall

2. Biology, 5th editon. Starr, C., and Taggart, R., 1989: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

3. Bacteria Biogeochemistry, by T. Fenchel,  G.M. King & T. H. Blackburn, 1998: Academic Press

4. An introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry. Susan, M. Libes, 1992. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

5. An introduction to Environmental Chemistry. Andrews, J.E., Brimblecombe, P., Jickells , T.D., Liss, P.E., 1996. Blackwell Science.

6. Environmental Soil Chemistry. Donald L. Sparks, Academic Press, 1995.

7. Global Environmental Change. Moore, P.D., Chalner, B., Stott, P., 1996. Blackwell Science.

 

Important Dates

February 24    First Midterm Exam

March 20-24   Spring recess            

April 3 Second Midterm Exam

May  5,  Friday     Final Exam 9:30-11:30.

 

Grading

Three exams each will have 25 points

 (? if the icp instrument can be fixed)Term Project and Presentation: 15%

Homework assignments and research: 10% (or 25% if the term project ICP does not work)

Attendance: - 5 to -10 %.

Attendance is required. More than three unexcused absences may result in the lowering of the final grade by as much as a half -letter grade. More than five unexcused absences may result in the lowering of the final grade by as much as a full-letter grade. Instructor’s permission for withdrawal will be given only for exceptional circumstances.  The same applies for permission to take a make-up exam.

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Class project and Presentation—Environmental bio-geochemistry related
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            Each student is expected to work on a small project and is expected to give a presentation in the class. The presentation will be scheduled on the April 28th. 

Project topics can be from any of the following:

<>1). Water chemistry of the through falls. You can have five to six plastic bottles hanging around different trees on Campus. After each rain, you measure the water chemistry, from pH, to the Ca, Na, Mg...  We have the equipment to help you do this. Then, you compare the results of the chemistry under different trees, explain why there is a variation in the chemistry and write up your report. 

2). Shell-leaching experiment. You can select one type of shells, then use distilled water, rainwater (lake water), marine water (you may add salt to make it) and weak HCL (1 to 5%) to leach the shell for a week at least. Then measure the Mg, Ca concentration in the solution. Or you leach different shells with the same solution and to exam which shell is more leachable. 

<>3). Collect natural water from different sources: lake, river, and ponds and rainwater, measure their pH, TDS and the chemical ions before a rain and after a rain. Compare the changes of the chemistry. Explain the reason. 

4). You can also do mineral leaching by HCL: Granite, Basalt and Andesite. Which rock is more leachable? i.e. more resistant to weathering(use Acid and try to heat up the sample first if you can).

<>5) Or other topics from the textbook that are interested to you. 

6) Something else you like to do, something related with your thesis.

Keep all your stuff such as bottled water, rocks or shells or tree leaves (if you collect water under trees) for the presentation in class. You will be given about 5 to 10 minutes for the presentation.