91579 - ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ANALYSIS

Learning outcomes

This course aims at providing an integrated and quantitative understanding of the geochemical processes leading to the genesis of mineral deposits, their environmental impact, and the analytical questions linking them. The first module will focus on analysis of rocks and minerals. The second module will focus on analysis of fluids and gases.

Course contents

The course contents will include electrolyte theory; concept and use of equilibrium constants in geochemistry; chemical potential diagrams; fluid- and gas equilibria in geothermal environments; metal solubility and transport in natural aqueous solutions; solubility of ore and gangue minerals; saturation index and its applications; mineral stability diagrams; Eh-pH diagrams; mineral, solute, and gas geothermometry; introduction to stable isotope systematics; hazard and risk mitigation strategies related to mineral deposits; environmental impact and consequent rehabilitation of natural and man-made pollution.

Readings/Bibliography

Barnes H.L. (1997). Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Ore Deposits: Wiley & Sons, Inc.. 3rd Edition

Treatise in Geochemistry (2003). Environmental Geochemistry. Vol. 9. p. 1-203. Elsevier

Langmuir D. (2005) Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry. Prentice-Hall

Drever J L (1997) Geochemistry of Natural Waters. Pearson

Anderson G. (2017). Thermodynamics of Natural Systems. Cambridge University Press, 3rd Edition

Gill RCO 2015 Chemical Fundamentals of Geology and Environmental Science

Rose Hawkes and Webb 1979 Geochemistry in Mineral Exploration

Faure G 1998 Principles and applications of geochemistry

Garrels and Christ 1968 Solutions, Mineral and Equilibria

 

Teaching methods

Class teaching

Laboratory exercises;

Seminars

Assessment methods

Different assessment methods will be used to evaluate the students: content-based, competence-based and impact-based assessments. Content-based assessment refers to assessment tasks that mainly ask the learner about facts. Competence-based assessments refers to assessment of intended learning outcomes that ask the learner to show ability to also use these facts. Impact-based assessments take the assessment of competencies one step further and ask the learner to use these competencies in a real-life situation to create a change or solve a challenge.

Teaching tools

Laboratory exercises;

Seminars provided by external instructors from academia and industry

Office hours

See the website of Nicholas John Geoffrey Pearce

See the website of Paolo Garofalo