The course teaches students how to create and use mechanistic and spatially explicit models to study (bio)geochemical processes in the various compartments of the Earth’s hydrosphere including sediments, aquifers, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
By the end of the course, students will
have a general understanding of concepts and methods needed to quantitatively describe (bio)geochemical reactions and transport processes in various compartments of the hydrosphere;
be able to formulate models (conceptually and with mathematical equations) to describe transport and reactions in Earth's surface environments;
be able to solve models numerically using appropriate modeling software (R, with relevant packages ReacTran & deSolve);
be able to perform sensitivity analyses to understand model implications;
be able to interpret the results of the models in the relevant context (e.g., geochemical processes in rivers, lakes, aquifers, sediments, oceans);
be able to report the results in written and oral forms.
Content
Model formulation: from conceptual diagrams to differential equations
Introduction to R
Spatial components and parameterization of models
Model solution (using R-packages deSolve and ReacTran)
Applications and case studies:
coupled chemical reactions: atmospheric ozone dynamics
surface reactions: mineral dissolution/precipitation
acid-base chemistry: pH dynamics
ecology: aquatic food-webs
epidemiology: COVID pandemic
global-scale models: Earth's global carbon cycle
biogeochemistry in water bodies: anoxia in an estuary
biogeochemistry in porous media: early diagenesis in sediments
The course will also help develop the following transferable skills:
Ability to work in a team: Practical exercises and group projects will be done in teams of 3-4 students. Students will need to distribute the tasks, organize and execute the workflow, and share responsibility for presentation of the results.
Written communication skills: results of group projects will be presented as reports. Feedback will be given after report submission.
Verbal communication skills: results of group projects will also be presented orally, as a group effort. Students will receive feedback on the quality of their presentations.
Analytical/quantitative skills: Throughout the course students will solve quantitative tasks using numerical methods. They will also interpret their results in the wider environmental context.
Strong work ethic: Students will be required to follow fixed deadlines for delivering results of group projects.
