Environmental Geochemistry: Chemistry of the Natural Systems

Description of Course Goals and Curriculum

This class is a general survey of topics in environmental geochemistry. Topics covered include the origin and formation of elements; the evolution of atmospheric, terrestrial, and water systems; material chemistry including ionic substitution in minerals; organic and inorganic geochemistry; reaction kinetics; chemistry of water; cycling and transport of nutrients and contaminants in terrestrial and biological systems. The course is organized in units that may each include several topics. Most of the units are interconnected, though the earlier lectures tend to be more isolated in the larger scheme of the course. Each unit is covered between 2-3 lectures. Basic familiarity with chemistry is required (as suggested by the prereqs of AP Chemistry or CHM 201), though specific nuances are explained in class if necessary.

Learning From Classroom Instruction

The course is composed of two 80-minute lectures per week. Each topic is covered by 2-3 lectures, but one topic may be concluded and another begun in the same 80-min slot. There are optional precepts offered at times when Professor Myneni feels that students may need additional background information for topics like organic chemistry, for example. The precepts follow the same general format as the regular lectures, though there is less attendance and more opportunity to ask questions and discuss. The lectures are delivered with PowerPoint slides, though the slides are usually not text heavy, but rather contain figures, equations, tables, etc. The material on the slides are supplemented with notes and additional examples and figures on the blackboard. This course requires students to actively listen and take note of key ideas, which usually come from what is said or written on the blackboard. Professor Myneni is usually good about communicating what the key take-aways are, but picking up these concepts requires careful listening of what is said in comment of the material on the slides. He also pauses at times to ask conceptual questions, and active participation in class is helpful in developing an intuition for the concepts covered. At the beginning of every unit, printed copies of the lecture slides are distributed to the class. I found it helpful to take notes on the margins of these print-outs so that I could identify which slide Professor Myneni was referencing when he said or wrote something on the board. I took note of everything that was said or written on the blackboard that I thought could potentially be important, and highlighted points that Professor Myneni indicated were particularly important. Professor Myneni does not assign the reading until the beginning of each unit. The readings are usually good reference material especially for memorization-heavy topics (e.g. rules of ionic substitution) if one needs to review the topics that have been or will be covered in lecture. The texts are usually very straight-forward but technical, so it is not necessary to read sections that cover concepts and equations that you are familiar with, except for the purpose of necessary review.

Learning For and From Assignments

The assignments were composed of 3-4 problem sets, 5-6 quizzes, 1 midterm and final (both in-class), and a final group project that included a presentation. Collaboration is not allowed on the problem sets. In addition, there was no TA in the course when I took it, which required talking to the professor if I had any questions. He was good about making himself available after class or by appointment, which was helpful for completing the problem sets or clearing up concepts that were not well-understood during lecture. Often times there are several correct answers depending on what assumptions are made to solve the problems, so it can be helpful to check with the professor if the assumptions that you make are reasonable. Given that no collaboration is allowed, the professor is helpful in giving you as much information as you may need without leading you directly to the answer. The quizzes are short (5-10 mins), and just assess basic concepts covered in each unit. There are usually only 1-2 questions that require recall and/or application of a concept to an unfamiliar situation. Quizzes are often announced one class in advance, and it was useful to reread and rewrite notes from the unit being assessed 1-2 days before the quiz. The midterm and final followed a similar format in relation to each other: several questions broken down into different parts. They require some memorization/recall, but emphasize the application of concepts to unfamiliar problems. When studying for exams, I found it helpful to review and rewrite all my notes from each unit covered in the exams, and also redo some of the problems covered in problem sets or in-class examples. No past exams were provided for the purposes of studying. The final group project is essentially a literature review followed by a presentation. The professor distributes a list of possible topics, gauges student interest in each topic, and forms groups based on which students indicate preferences for which topics. Research topics often have some connection to specific concepts covered in class, but more so explore an application of these concepts in depth.

External Resources

It is very helpful to arrange times to talk to the professor about unfamiliar concepts and questions regarding the assignments (after class, for example). He is usually very helpful and informative, and provides more real-world examples that enhance understanding of concepts.

What Students Should Know About This Course For Purposes Of Course Selection

At the conclusion of this course, students can expect to have a basic understanding of many geochemical processes in natural environments. Students will be able to solve problems with equations, as well as predict how geochemical processes will proceed given certain environmental conditions. It is worthwhile to note that this this class has a final exam AND final project, so it might be heavy in terms of coursework near the end of the semester. The topics that I understood the best and became most interested in were those that I spoke to professor Myneni about after class or otherwise in search of clarification of ideas that were not clear to me initially. Additionally, the final project is a great opportunity to explore a current field of research in geochemistry especially if you're considering a related field for independent work (JP or thesis).