Instructor: Dr.
Karen S. Bartels Office:
S-142
Telephone: 773/442-6052 Fax:
773/442-5710
E-Mail: K-Bartels@neiu.edu Webpage:
www.neiu.edu/~deptesci/bartels.htm
Office Hours: TR 3-5 p.m., R 9-10 a.m.
TEXT:
Principles and Applications of Geochemistry, Gunter Faure, 1998
(Prentice
Hall).
Text will be supplemented with handouts from other sources throughout
the semester.
Organization and Objectives
of the Course
Course Outline
Evaluation
ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE:
This is a three-credit lecture course. Much of the material will
be presented as lectures, but some class time will be used for
discussion
and working in small groups to solve problems or investigate
geochemical
phenomena through hands-on activities. Each student is expected
to
attend class, read the assigned pages of the main textbook and the
supplementary
readings (outside of class time), and complete all of the assessment
materials
(homework, tests, etc).
COURSE OBJECTIVES: In this course you should:
_Learn to apply chemical techniques to geologic problems.
_Understand the formation and distribution of the elements in the solar
system.
_Understand the importance of thermodynamics (what can happen) and
kinetics (how fast
something will happen) in geologic processes.
_Become familiar with the most common chemical methods and techniques
used to interpret
geologic situations.
| Aug. 30 |
Introduction
to the course and to each other. The earth as a chemical system. |
Syllabus Chapters 2, 3, 4 |
| Sep. 6 |
Chemical behavior of the elements | Chapters 5 and 6 |
| Sep. 13 |
Problem
Set #1 Due. What holds atoms together to form compounds? What controls the type and amount of chemical variation in minerals? Bonding and crystal chemistry. |
Chapters 7 and 8 |
| Sep. 20 |
Problem
Set #2 Due. How do minerals dissolve? Part I: Acids and bases. Part II: Salts. |
Chapters 9 and 10 |
| Sep. 27 |
Problem
Set #3 Due. How can we tell if a chemical reaction is possible? Thermodynamics! |
Chapter 11 |
| Oct. 4 |
Exam
I over chapters 2-10 How can we tell which minerals will be stable under specific conditions? Mineral stability diagrams. |
Chapter 12 |
| Oct. 11 |
Problem
Set #4 Due. Oxidation-reduction reactions. |
Chapter 14 |
| Oct. 18 |
Problem
Set #5 Due (via email) Radioactive Isotopes. In-class assignment: how old is that rock? |
Chapter 16 |
| Oct. 25 |
Stable Isotopes |
Chapter 17 |
| Nov. 1 |
Problem
Set #6 Due. How fast will a reaction happen? Kinetics. |
Chapter 15 |
| Nov. 8 |
Exam
II: Chapters 11, 12, 14, 16,
& 17. |
|
| Nov. 15 |
Applying
what we have learned: Chemical weathering. |
Chapter 19 |
| Nov. 22 |
Problem
Set #7 Due. Chemical weathering of ore deposits. Chemical composition of surface waters. |
Chapters 20 and 21 |
| Nov. 29 |
Where has that rock been? Geothermometry (how hot?) and geobarometry (how deep?). | Handouts |
| Dec. 6 |
Problem
Set #8 Due. Global Geochemical Cycles. Review |
Chapter 22 |
| Dec. 13 |
FINAL EXAM 6:00-7:50 p.m. |
ASSESSMENT MATERIALS:
Your grade for this course will be based on three exams, eight problem
sets, and class participation, including completion of fourteen
in-class activities (about one per week). When calculating your
final grade, I will “drop” the lowest problem set score and the lowest
two in-class activities.
Exams: Exams will consist of short essay questions and problems
similar to those on the problem sets. They will not
be strictly comprehensive, but you will need to build on what you learn
throughout the course.
Problem Sets: Problem sets will consist of up to five questions
(most will be similar to "word problems") related to the lecture
material. Doing these problems will help you understand and learn
to apply the concepts presented in class; this will also help you
prepare for the exams.
GRADES:
| Exam I | 100 |
| Exam II | 100 |
| Final Exam |
110 |
| Problem Sets (8) |
200 (25 each) |
| Class participation (14) |
140 (10 each) |
| , | 650 points total |
All course requirements must be completed to pass the course.
The grading scale is as follows:
A 100-90%; B 89-80%; C
79-70%; D 69-60%; F 59% and
lower.
Labs and other assignments must be handed in on time. For
unusual circumstances, exceptions may be made but only if you make
specific arrangements with me in advance.
If you miss an exam, you may take a comprehensive substitute exam on
November 29.
Incomplete grades will be given only in accordance with University
policies as published in the catalog.
Drop date is Friday, November 11
EXPECTATIONS:
My expectations for
students in my classes are pretty standard.
Basically they are the same as outlined in the list of
guidelines from the Sociology Home Page at NEIU (http://orion.neiu.edu/~sociolgy/guidelines.html)
Graduate
students: Additional course
requirements for graduate students taking the
course for graduate credit are as follows:
1.
Graduate students will be assigned advanced
versions of the problem sets. The
graduate student problem sets will cover the same material but will be
more
in-depth and will require a higher degree of sophisticated
problem-solving
abilities than the undergraduate problem sets. Additional reading materials that provide
more in-depth coverage of
class topics will be made available for graduate students.
2. In place of
problem sets #4 and #5, graduate students will have a special
assignment
related to radiometric dating.
3. Exams
for graduate students will contain higher
order questions reflecting the more advanced material worked out in the
problem
sets.