2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Chemistry
Geochemistry
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Chemistry
- Instructor(s)
- Kenji Nogami / Akihiko Terada
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Mon (M-157(H1102)) / 7-8 Thu (M-157(H1102))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- CHM.B334
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
The first half of the course explains transfers of materials and processes of chemical reactions associated with volcanic activities. In the latter half, roles of water on volcanic activities are discussed on the basis of various perspectives.
Course description and aims
Acquisition of basic knowledge for chemical characteristics and reaction of gas, liquid and solid associated with volcanic phenomena
Keywords
geochemistry, volcanic gas, volcanic eruption, disaster prevention
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Theme-based lectures with the aid of original pictures and movies
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction to Geochemistry |
Digestion of geochemical approach to volcanology |
| Class 2 | Magma generation and Volcanic gas |
Properties of magma, role of volatiles in magma and chemistry of volcanic gases |
| Class 3 | Chemical composition and flux monitoring of volcanic gas by remote sensing |
Methods for remote sensing for monitoring of volcanic gas |
| Class 4 | hot springs in volcanic area |
Geochemical approach to hot spring |
| Class 5 | Travertine-1 |
Rock alteration under acidic condition |
| Class 6 | Travertine-2 |
Geochemical approach to travertine |
| Class 7 | Observations of submarine volcanoes |
Submarine volcanic activity and its observations |
| Class 8 | Styles of volcanic eruptions |
An overview of volcanic activities such as eruptions |
| Class 9 | Roles of volatiles in volcanic eruptions |
Understand the fragmentation and their influence of volatiles on eruption styles |
| Class 10 | Volcanic eruption columns |
Understand the mechanism of volcanic eruption columns using thermodynamics |
| Class 11 | Pyloclastic density currents and caldera formations |
Understand the mechanism of collapses of volcanic eruption columns |
| Class 12 | Geothermal activities |
An overview of volcanic thermal activities including fumaroles, hot springs and volcanic lakes |
| Class 13 | Heat and water transfers in volcanoes |
Understand groundwater flow in volcanoes on the basis of stable isotope ratio analysis and Darcy's law |
| Class 14 | Benefits and hazards of volcanoes |
Understand the hazard assessment of volcanoes, the present issue of eruption predictions and the utilization of volcanoes |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not specified.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handouts will be distributed at the beginning of class when necessary.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Homework assignments and exam.
Related courses
- EPS.A332 ： Volcanology
- CHM.B532 ： Global Environmental Chemistry
Prerequisites
Nothing special.