Syllabus

SYLLABUS SCHEDULE

Duration:

Lecture:

Lab:

Course page website: http://www.odu.edu/~jrule

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Joseph H. Rule, Associate Dean, College of Sciences
Professor, Department of Ocean, Earth & Atmos. Sciences
Office:139 OCNPS Bldg.
Phone:683-4418; e-mail: jrule@odu.edu

LABORATORY INSTRUCTOR

Office: OCNPS Bldg.
Phone:
E-mail:
Office hours:

TEXT

Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry, Donald Langmuir

EXAMANATION

Three one-hour lecture exams and Final Exam with possible periodic survey quizzes and a final laboratory exam.

GRADING

NOTE: All exams are listed in the Lecture and Lab schedules. There are no make-up exams.

LABORATORY EXERCISES

Lab Exercises are available on the Course Web Site

COURSE STRUCTURE

Lectures by instructor with possible lecturers from outside. Class discussion and participation is expected. There will be selected laboratories, both as demonstrations and hands-on exercises. The laboratories will be held during the Tuesday evening sessions. Students will prepare laboratory reports on the various exercises following guidance provided separately.

FIELD TRIP

At least one off-campus Saturday or afternoon field trip will be arranged.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

The basic concepts and principles of chemistry are applied to low temperature geologic processes of surface and near-surface environments. Weathering and the geochemical cycle as influenced by the environment are discussed. Topics include chemical weathering, oxidation-reduction, Eh-pH diagrams, organic materials in sediments and colloids.

LABORATORY

A laboratory notebook must be maintained in a legible and orderly condition. It will be neat and easy to read with answers to all questions, results, etc. clearly identified. This notebook (experimental results and answers to questions) will account for 15% of the grade. See Laboratory Notebook Suggestions.

LAB OBJECTIVE

Basic laboratory techniques will be applied to the analysis of various geologic materials. Use of common laboratory instruments will be included. Laboratory topics will parallel lecture material where appropriate.

GEOLOGY 514

Those students enrolling for graduate credit are required to complete additional assignments as well as maintain greater academic performance than 414 students. Additional assignments will consist of library or laboratory projects selected by the student and approved by the instructor and will account for 10% of the final grade.

WRITTEN PAPER

This will be a concise written paper on a subject appropriate to the class material. The paper should be a short (5-7 typed pages) report on a subject pertaining to the theme of the course. The topic and brief outline should be approved by the instructor prior to the writing of the manuscript (by the fourth week of classes). There should be an abstract, introduction, discussion, summary and conclusions and literature cited sections. You should include your own opinions where appropriate, especially in the summary. Make sure that the source of the information is clear to the reader, throughout the manuscript. Please use the Journal of Environmental Quality as your style reference. The written report is due to the instructor by the last day of classes. It is the responsibility of each student to meet these deadlines. 

NOTE

Geology 414 students may choose to complete a library or laboratory project and will be graded in accordance with the 514 grading scheme. This choice must be made prior to Exam 1. Once the choice is made by a 414 student to undertake the research project, they cannot return to the original grading scheme.