EAS 3030 Introduction to Biogeochemistry (also NTRES 3030)
Fall. 4 credits. Prerequisites: CHEM 2070 or equivalent, MATH 1120, and biology and/or geology course. J. Yavitt.
Control and function of the Earth’s global biogeochemical cycles. Begins with a review of the basic inorganic and organic chemistry of biologically significant elements, and then considers the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nutrients, and metals that take place in soil, sediments, rivers, and the oceans. Topics include weathering, acid-base chemistry, biological redox processes, nutrient cycling, trace gas fluxes, bio-active metals, the use of isotopic tracers, controls on atmospheric carbon dioxide, and mathematical models. Interactions between global biogeochemical cycles and other components of the Earth system are discussed.