37671 - Chemical Oceanography

Academic Year 2012/2013

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Marine Biology (cod. 8024)

Learning outcomes

Understanding the behaviour of chemical species in the marine environment

Course contents

Composition of seawater, geochemical cycles (residence time), biological interactions, conservative components. Major components, origin, average composition, salinity and chlorinity, methods of determination. Ionic interactions, ion-pairing model. Dissolved gases, saturation anomaly, air-sea exchange. Oxygen and redox potential, anoxic waters, AOU, Redfield ratios. Acid-base equilibria, the carbonate system, pH, alkalinity. Phosphorous, nitrogen and silicon in seawater. Trace elements, speciation. Particulate matter, sources and composition, adsorption. Organic compounds, origin, distribution and fate. Molecular markers for studying marine processes. Distribution of the principal chemical species in the Oceans.

Readings/Bibliography

F.J.Millero, Chemical Oceanography, CRC Press, 1996-2007.

S.M.Libes, Marine Biogeochemistry, Wiley, 1992.

Lesson slides available on-line.

Teaching methods

Lecturing, tutorials, numerical exercises from study case, discussion of journal articles.

Assessment methods

Oral examination. Students will be required to describe the chemical behaviour of two or more chemical elements in the marine environment (chemical species, vertical distribution in the ocean and so forth).

Teaching tools

Videoprojector. PC.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Fabbri