Environmental Geochemistry

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

This subject is taugt through the Victorian Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences: https://vieps.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/.

85 hours

Third year hydrogeology or geochemistry recommended

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This course will cover a variety of aspects of environmental geochemistry, including equilibrium processes (thermodynamics, solubility, mineral precipitation, redox reactions), kinetics and rates of reactions, application of geochemical and isotopic tracers to understanding environmental processes, and environmental mineralogy. Applications will include hydrology and hydrogeology, contaminants, weathering and CO2 sequestration, and acid-mine drainage. The course will develop the geochemical tools required to understand processes in these environments.

• This subject aims to equip students with discipline-specific knowledge and expertise appropriate for post-graduate research in the field;
• equip students with discipline-specific knowledge and expertise enabling them to take their place as professional geologists in industry or government organisations;
• to understand the links between chemical and environmental processes in aqueous geochemistry;
• identify processes operating in natural aqueous systems using natural chemical tracers;
• describe ways in which contamination can occur and be detected.

Three 30-minute quizzes (50%), a 20-minute oral presentation (35%) and a two-page summary of the oral presentation (15%) all due during the teaching period.

Reading expected to be completed in the pre-teaching period.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Exercise critical judgement;
• undertake rigorous and independent thinking;
• adopt a problem-solving approach to new and unfamiliar tasks;
• develop high-level written report and/or oral presentation skills; interrogate, synthesise and interpret the published literature;
• work as part of a team.