Geochemistry is a research field which tries to discover fundamental principles and laws that control the distribution of elements, isotopes, and chemical species in the solar system and the earth. In addition to fundamental researches, geochemistry is intimately related to applications such as space exploration and resource survey. Consequently, geochemistry has been developed significantly in the last 100 years of its history, becoming extremely important in earth and planetary sciences. This course consists of basic and application classes regarding geochemistry and cosmochemistry, specifically focusing on the origin and evolution of the solar system. The fundamentals for elements and isotopes will be given in the first five classes, followed by the classes introducing the applications utilizing such tracers for elucidating the origin and evolution of the solar system.
At the end of this course, students will be able to understand:
1) the origin of elements and the solar system
2) the timescale for the evolution of early solar system and early earth
3) chemical and isotopic distribution in the solar system and within the planets
Elements, Isotopes, Meteorites, Early solar system, Early earth, Chronology
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and prepare for the topics with handouts and references.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Elements and isotopes | Review the fundamentals of elements and isotopes |
Class 2 | Radioactivity | Understanding of radioactivity |
Class 3 | Origin of light elements | Understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis for light elements |
Class 4 | Nucleosynthesis of heavy elements | Understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis for trans-Fe elements |
Class 5 | Meteoritics | Understanding of meteorites and their chemical components |
Class 6 | Primitive and differentiated meteorites | Understanding of the difference between chondrites and differenetiated meteorites |
Class 7 | Origin of the solar system | Understanding of the theory of solar system formation |
Class 8 | Mass fractionation of stable isotopes | Understanding of mass dependent isotope fractionation |
Class 9 | Chemical compositions of the soalr system | Understanding of isotopic composition of the solar system constrained by the analyses of meteorites |
Class 10 | Isotopic compositions of the soalr system | Understanding of isotopic composition of the solar system constrained by the analyses of meteorites |
Class 11 | Origin and evolution of the solar system-1 | Understanding of the theory of solar system formation |
Class 12 | Origin and evolution of the solar system-2 | Understanding of the origin, chemical and isotopic compositions of the moon |
Class 13 | Origin and evolution of the solar system-3 | Understanding of the chemical evolution of solid Earth via the formation of the core, mantle, and crust |
Class 14 | Application of chronology | Understanding of the evolution history of the early solar system constrained by the analyses of meteorites |
Class 15 | Presolar world | Understanding of the origin of presolar grains using their isotope compositions |
Handouts will be provided during the class
Kenji Notsu "Cosmochemistry and Geochemistry" Asakurashoten (in Japanese)
Mitsuru Ebihara "Chemistry of the solar system" Shokabo (in Japanese)
Jun'ich Matsuda, Hisayoshi Yurimoto "Cosmochemistry and Planetary chemistry" Baihukan (in Japanese)
Students will be assessed on their understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system and early earth, including their timescales.
Students' course scores are based on final exam (65%) and reports (35%).
No prerequisites