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Description
The module teaches the use of isotopes in a host of different geological aspects. The first half of the course (geochronology) uses radioactive and radiogenic isotopes to determine the age of different geological materials, from determining the age of the Earth, through to the exposure age of different sediments. the second half of the course examines the use of isotopes in non-dating techniques. This includes determining palaeo-climates, the evolution of atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide, through to examining the chemical structure of the mantle.
The module will:
- introduce the physical and chemical processes that determine the isotopic composition of Earth materials, including nucleosynthesis, radioactivity and fractionation processes
- provide a basic understanding of mass spectrometry, and teach the student how to process raw mass spectrometer data using the R programming language
- derive the basic mathematical underpinnings of the radiometric age equation, isochrons and the U-Pb concordia diagram
- provide a rigorous background in error propagation
- provide a broad overview of the natural processes that can lead to mass-dependent fractionation of stable isotopes
- explain how stable isotopes measurements can be used to understand said natural processes, both in the solid Earth and its fluid envelopes.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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