Each student will be asked to identify a problem of interest to them for a term paper. Examples of projects include, controls on iron sulfide mineral formation in recent sediments, nitrogen dynamics in soils, the role of the oceans in buffering the CO 2 content of the atmosphere, modeling adsorption in soils for predicting the effects of acid rain on aquatic ecosystems, controls on pCO 2 in soil water, controls on silica concentrations in the oceans, regulation of the oxygen content of the atmosphere. Students may also chose to incorporate a detailed chemical analysis of their research project for the core courses. Students will be expected to read research papers on their topic, and write a report on the current hypotheses, which include quantitative calculations and a discussion of the applicability of equilibrium models to the problem. I will help the student chose key reference papers and data sets for analysis.
Term papers are due two weeks after the end of the lecture period.
Examples of the application of equilibrium analysis to ecosystems biogeochemistry and environmental problems. Free energy and chemical change, chemical potential, Using free energy change to understand reactions, free energy data sets - standard states and conventions, effects of temperature and pressure on equilibrium constants, combining equilibrium constants. Ways to calculate activity - Davies, extended Debeye Huckel, and Guntleberg equations. Pankow Chapter 4, 5.1-5.3 inclusive. More acids and bases, including activity corrections, pH as a master variable, use of log concentration vs. pH plots.