Programme

Part I – Geochemistry of Endogenic Processes and Isotope Geochemistry

Cosmochemistry; nucleosynthesis and element stability; abundance of elements in the cosmos and on Earth, and their distribution among the geochemical spheres.
Geochemical classification of elements: major, minor, and trace elements.
Behaviour of elements in magmatic processes: partition coefficients; compatible and incompatible elements.
Geochemical modelling of partial melting and fractional crystallisation.
Fundamentals of radiometric geochronology: accumulation clocks, decay clocks, and disequilibrium; K–Ar, radiocarbon, and Rb–Sr methods.
Introduction to stable isotope geochemistry.

Part II – Geochemistry of Supergene and Environmental Processes

Behaviour of elements in supergene processes; weathering and the role of water.
Factors controlling transport and sedimentation: ionic potential, pH, Eh, and adsorption processes.
Geochemistry of the hydrosphere: continental surface water and groundwater; water–rock interaction.
Mineral waters and their use by humans.
Fundamentals of environmental radioactivity, the radon problem, and the measurement of natural radioactivity using gamma-ray spectrometry.

Laboratory Activities and Practical Exercises

Reading and interpretation of tables, graphs, and simple elemental and isotopic datasets.
Measurement, processing, and interpretation of data relating to natural waters and water–rock interaction.
Measurement of radon and natural gamma radioactivity; data discussion and mapping.

Core Documentation

- White, W. M. (2013), Geochemistry, Wiley-Blackwell.
- Holland, H. D., and Turekian, K. K. (eds.), Treatise on Geochemistry, Elsevier. [Specify the recommended edition and chapters.]
- Supplementary teaching materials, exercises, datasets, and laboratory protocols provided by the instructors through the institutional platform.

Attendance

Attendance at lectures and practical activities is governed by the Academic Regulations of the Degree Programme, which should be consulted for any attendance requirements, minimum attendance percentages, and provisions applicable to specific categories of students.

Type of evaluation

Assessment consists of a practical laboratory test and an oral examination. Practical Laboratory Test The test assesses the ability to apply geochemical procedures and concepts, organise data, perform simple data processing, and formulate a coherent interpretation. It may include the interpretation of hydrogeochemical and gamma-ray spectrometry data. Oral Examination The oral examination assesses mastery of the concepts, the ability to establish connections between the different parts of the syllabus, interpret a given case or dataset, and present arguments using appropriate scientific language. The examination lasts approximately 45 minutes. Assessment Criteria and Final Grade Accuracy and completeness of subject-specific knowledge. Correct application of methods. Ability to read, integrate, and interpret data while clearly stating assumptions and limitations. Independence and coherence of argumentation. Clarity of presentation and appropriate use of scientific language.

Programme

Part I – Geochemistry of Endogenic Processes and Isotope Geochemistry
Cosmochemistry; nucleosynthesis and elemental stability; abundance of elements in the cosmos and on Earth, and their distribution among the major geochemical reservoirs.
Geochemical classification of elements: major, minor, and trace elements.
Element behavior during magmatic processes: partition coefficients; compatible and incompatible elements.
Geochemical modeling of partial melting and fractional crystallization.
Fundamentals of radiometric geochronology: accumulation clocks, decay clocks, and radioactive disequilibrium; K-Ar, radiocarbon, and Rb-Sr dating methods.
Introduction to stable isotope geochemistry.

Part II – Geochemistry of Supergenic and Environmental Processes
Element behavior during supergenic processes; weathering and the role of water.
Factors controlling transport and sedimentation: ionic potential, pH, Eh, and adsorption processes.
Geochemistry of the hydrosphere: surface waters and groundwater; water-rock interactions.
Mineral waters and their utilization by humans.
Fundamentals of environmental radioactivity, the radon issue, and the measurement of natural radioactivity by gamma spectrometry.

Laboratory Activities and Practical Exercises
Reading and interpretation of tables, graphs, and simple elemental and isotopic datasets.
Measurement, processing, and interpretation of data related to natural waters and water-rock interactions.
Measurement of radon and natural gamma radioactivity; data discussion and mapping activities.

Core Documentation

- White, W. M. (2013), Geochemistry, Wiley-Blackwell
- Supplementary teaching materials, exercise sets, datasets, and laboratory protocols will be provided by the instructors through the University's institutional learning platform.

Reference Bibliography

- Holland, H. D.; Turekian, K. K. (a cura di), Treatise on Geochemistry, Elsevier.

Attendance

Attendance of lectures and practical activities is governed by the Degree Programme Academic Regulations, to which students should refer for any attendance requirements, minimum attendance percentages, and provisions applicable to specific categories of students.

Type of evaluation

Assessment consists of a practical laboratory examination and an oral examination. Practical Laboratory Examination The practical examination assesses the ability to apply geochemical procedures and concepts, organize data, perform simple data processing, and formulate a coherent interpretation. It may include the interpretation of hydrogeochemical data and gamma spectrometry data. Oral Examination The oral examination assesses mastery of the course concepts, the ability to integrate different parts of the syllabus, interpret a proposed case study or dataset, and discuss scientific issues using appropriate terminology. The oral examination lasts approximately 45 minutes. Assessment Criteria and Final Grade - The final grade is based on the following criteria: - Accuracy and completeness of disciplinary knowledge. - Correct application of methods and procedures. - Ability to read, integrate, and interpret data, explicitly stating assumptions and limitations. - Independence of judgment and coherence of argumentation. - Clarity of presentation and appropriate use of scientific language.