Course Description
Students are introduced to the core concepts underlying isotopic studies in environmental sciences, including isotope ratios, delta notation, isotopic fractionation, mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation as well as radioactive decay. They develop an understanding of natural isotope abundances and the key physical and chemical processes driving isotopic fractionation in environmental systems.
The course provides foundational knowledge of isotope-ratio measurement techniques, with a focus on spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, as well as the practical challenges related to precision, accuracy, calibration and data interpretation. Students engage with fundamental quantitative models including Rayleigh fractionation and radioactive decay equations.
Building on these concepts, students explore major applications of isotope biogeoscience, including the water cycle, the carbon cycle and atmospheric methane, the nitrogen cycle, and volcanic sulfate formation. Throughout the course, theoretical concepts and mathematical tools are integrated with real-world research examples to provide students with a comprehensive perspective on the methods, key questions and scientific advances in isotope biogeoscience.
