Outline#
Course status
Archived course materials from Spring 2026.
Course Description#
In geochemistry, we use the tools of chemistry to understand the Earth and how it works. Principles of thermodynamics and kinetics will be applied to understand key processes that control of the geochemistry of the Earth, from the low temperature and pressure conditions of Earth’s surface environment to higher temperature and pressure conditions in Earth’s interior. We will consider processes operating on time scales of millions (planetary formation) to hundreds (climate change) of years. The lab will provide hands-on experience using real data to solve geological problems.
Learning Outcomes#
Below is a list of some specific knowledge and skills you can expect to gain through this course. This term you will:
- Use thermodynamics to understand chemical variation across the solar system (refractory and volatile phases)
- Use geochemical data from rocks and meteorites to model the chemical composition of Earth
- Develop a thermodynamic basis for chemical partitioning between crystals and melt
- Predict the behavior of trace elements in both open and closed systems that are either melting or crystallizing
- Use melting models and the average composition of the oceanic and continental crust to reconstruct the history of mantle melting and continental crust creation
- Use radioactive decay to determine when a sample was extracted from Earth's primitive mantle
- Develop a thermodynamic basis for stable isotope fractionation
- Gain practical understanding on how we measure the mass-to-charge ratio of elements and isotopologues to determine the chemical and isotopic composition of geochemical samples
- Use equilibrium reactions of CO2 in seawater to understand the relationships between carbonate saturation, alkalinity, pH, and future climate change
- Make quantitative comparisons of data and models to determine the best model parameters
- Use truncations of the Taylor series to numerically solve differential equations that represent time-dependent geochemical models