Chemical oceanography

Duration

20h Th, 5h Pr, 2d FW

Number of credits

Lecturer

Alberto Borges

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

All year long, with partial in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

In the oceans, chemical, biological and physical processes interact in a complex and dependant way. This course specifically aims to give the basis of aquatic chemistry with a particular emphasis on greenhouse gases.

Chapters of the lectures:

1.Foreword


2.Physico-chemical properties of water


3.Seawater composition


4.Salinity as a conservative tracer


5.Ions in seawater


6.Redox reactions - production/destruction of organic matter


7.Green-house gases (CO2, CH4, N2O)


8.Gas exchange accross the air-sea interface

 

Chapters 1-6 are covered in 6h (2 lectures), chapters 7-8 are covered in 14h (7 lectures)

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Introduction to cycles of organic and inorganic carbon, organic and inorganic nutrients, and greenhouse gases in various marine ecosystems.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Basic knowledge in chemistry, biology and physics.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

20 h of therory + 5h Practical work + 2 d of field work in Calvi (Corsica)

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

20 h of theory by 3 h slots , face-to-face.
Lectures in English, slides in french

Recommended or required readings

Recommended but not mandatory reading :
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/164932
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/82202
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/115962
http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/handle/2268/2588
Lectures available at bottom of page « Items online »

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions )


Additional information:

The evaluation of this course is based on a theoretical exam and an evaluation of practical work during the internship at STARESO (50%-50%), for the first and second session. Evaluation of the practical work (and participation in the STARESO intership) is mandatory.

In the first session, the theoretical exam is held during the January (official) session.

In the second session, the theory exam is held during the September (official) session; the evaluation of practical work during the STARESO internship will be postponed to the second session.

The theoretical exam in January (First session) and in September (second session) consists of 20 questions on the theoretical course (3 hours), without notes, face-to-face.

The practical work at STARESO is held during the Master-I internship (month of May). Measurements of O2, pH, salinity, temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration, nutrients will be performed in the Bay of Calvi, under the supervision of the teacher. At the end of the internship, the students will individually present an interpretation of the results obtained, followed by a discussion with the teacher and will be the subject of the evaluation which also takes into account the assiduity during the experimental manipulations. The interpretation and discussion of the results must make use of the theoretical notions seen during the course in Q1.

The result of the January theoretical exam is partial, and will not be communicated before the June deliberation (in any form, even indicative). The final grade of the first session will only be communicated after the June deliberation.

In case of a third or fourth session, only the theoretical exam will be retaken, if the practical work has already been done, whose mark will be transferred. The exam consists also of 20 questions on the theoretical course (3 hours), without notes, face-to-face.

Work placement(s)

 Fieldwork at STARESO.

The practical work at STARESO is held during the Master-I internship (month of May). Measurements of O2, pH, salinity, temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration, nutrients will be performed in the Bay of Calvi, under the supervision of the teacher. At the end of the internship, the students will individually present an interpretation of the results obtained, followed by a discussion with the teacher and will be the subject of the evaluation which also takes into account the assiduity during the experimental manipulations. The interpretation and discussion of the results must make use of the theoretical notions seen during the course in Q1.

Organizational remarks

The schedule will be provided by Mariella Lunetta (secretary of BEE Dpt).

I do not answer any questions by e-mail.

I'll answer to questions related to the lectures during or after lectures.

For matters of adminstration or of organisation, contact Mariella Lunetta.

Contacts

Alberto Borges :
Alberto.borges@ulg.ac.be
04.336.31.87
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Mariella Lunetta
Secrétariat du Département BEE
M.Lunetta@uliege.be
04.366.50.62
 

Association of one or more MOOCs

Items online