Geochemistry of Marine Sediments

3-0-9 units · Graduate

Focuses on processes that control the composition of sediments in coastal, shelf, and deep-sea environments and processes that define their roles in biogeochemical cycles. Topics include calculating chemical fluxes across the sediment-water interface; evaluating the sources and reactivity of carbonate, silicic, and detrital sediments; using pore water gradients to calculate diffusion, reaction, and flux rates; sediment dating; estimating accumulation rates; and using stable isotopes and natural-series radioisotopes. Covers evaluation of the links between sedimentary and water column processes; the effects of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., eutrophication, acidification, warming) on sedimentary processes; and the role of sediments in global biogeochemical cycles. Introduces sampling techniques and mathematical modeling of sedimentary processes.