| fall 2012 Syllabus
** (PDF) |
| WEEK |
Date |
Topic |
| water
sampling, handling, field measurements and analysis |
| |
| Week 1 |
20 Aug |
Introduction: Lab book
expectations, units and measures, sample collection and stabilization,
lab safety, and development of a hypothesis and sampling scheme |
| Week 2 |
27 Aug |
Field trip #1: Sampling
for cation and anion concentrations; trace metals and field
measurements of alkalinity, temperature, pH, redox potential, and
specific conductance |
| Week 3 |
3 Sept |
Labor Day No lecture this week, Labs only |
| Week 4 |
10 Sept |
Atomic absorption spectrometry
(AAS) for cations and metals |
| Week 5 |
17 Sept |
Data handling and presentation of water chemistry data |
| soil sampling, handling, field measurements and analysis |
| Week 6 |
24 Sept |
Field trip #2: Sampling
schemes (profiles, transects, and stream samples) and storage, field
measurements, and descriptions |
| Week 7 |
01 Oct |
Moisture content, sample
ashing, and loss on ignition (LOI).
Sample preparation: crushing and
grinding (contamination sources) |
| Week 8 |
08 Oct |
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Major
and selected trace element composition by fused disk and pressed powder
pellets |
| Week 9 |
15 Oct |
Eltra carbon (total and organic) and sulfur analysis |
| Week 10 |
22 Oct |
Literature research on the use of discrimination diagrams and writing a data results summary |
| Week 11 |
29 Oct |
Data handling and presentation of major oxide and trace element data in soils |
Image: An organic
carbon-rich paleosol, developed in a Mississippian sequence, KY
Image credit: Erika R. Elswick, 2000-2001
|
| rock and solid material sample handling, and analysis |
| Week 12 |
05 Nov |
GSA- Guest lecture and tours |
| Week 13 |
12 Nov |
Wet chemical analysis of geologic materials–getting solid samples into solution & Sequential extractions
|
| Week 14 |
19 Nov |
Thanksgiving Holiday, no lecture or laboratory sessions scheduled |
| Week 15 |
26 Nov |
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis of geologic materials |
| Week 16 |
03 Dec |
Data handling and presentation of geochemical data in rocks and minerals |
| Week 17 |
10 Dec |
Exam week |
Reserve Readings (Geology Library, 6th Floor, listed under the course number G444/G544):
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater 20th Edition: published by the American Public Health Association, American Waterworks Association and the Water Environment Federation, 1998. QD 142 .A53
Tufte, E., 2001, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Graphics Press. QA276.3 .T83 |
|
Method Papers Due: Tuesday December 11 of finals week by 5:00 p.m
|
| Syllabus subject to change, with prior notice.
|