Chemical Oceanography

• Textbook: An Introduction to the Chemistry of the Sea by Michael Pilson

Chemical Oceanography by Emerson and Hedges

Chemical Oceanography by Frank Millero

    An Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry by S. M. Libes

Course Learning Objectives

1. Understand the basic chemistry of the oceans with regards to pH, equilibrium, and kinetics.

2. Understand the distribution of elements within the ocean and factors that effect that distribution ranging from gas exchange, to biological activity, to sedimentation.

3. Be able to explain the underlying principles of chemical and biogeochemical cycling in marine systems.

4. Be able to develop / improve written and oral communication skills focused on marine chemical and biogeochemical processes and related contemporary research.

Topics

1. Introduction and properties of seawater

2. Major ions and salinity – Chemical Equilibrium

3. Marine Carbonate Systems /Alkalinity Chemistry

4. Acid Base, Gas Exchange/ Solubility

5. Stable Isotopes

6. Radioisotopes

7. Rivers and groundwater

8. Hydrothermal processes

9. Non-conservative processes in estuaries/groundwater/hydrothermal

10. Gas exchange across the air-sea interface

11. Atmospheric-ocean interaction

12. Primary Production and Respiration

13. Nutrients: Nitrogen and Phosphorus

14. New, export, and net community production

15. Marine particles/Biological Pump

16. Organic Matter in Ocean

17. Quantifying biogeochemical fluxes and rates

18. Marine Sediments

19. Early diagenesis I

20. Early diagenesis II and sediment distributions

21. Long-term cycles of carbon, oxygen and sulfur

22. Anthropogenic Carbon dioxide