トップページへ

2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry

Academic unit or major
Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Instructor(s)
Makiko Haba / Yasuhito Sekine / Tetsuya Yokoyama
Class Format
Lecture (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses
-
Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)
5-6 Tue (I3-107(I311)) / 5-6 Fri (I3-107(I311))
Class
-
Course Code
EPS.A330
Number of credits
200
Course offered
2025
Offered quarter
2Q
Syllabus updated
Mar 19, 2025
Language
Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Geochemistry is a research field which tries to discover fundamental principles and laws that control the distribution of elements, isotopes, and chemical species in the solar system and the earth. In addition to fundamental researches, geochemistry is intimately related to applications such as space exploration and resource survey. Consequently, geochemistry has been developed significantly in the last 100 years of its history, becoming extremely important in earth and planetary sciences. This course consists of basic and application classes regarding geochemistry and cosmochemistry, specifically focusing on the origin and evolution of the solar system. The fundamentals for elements and isotopes will be given in the first seven classes, followed by the classes introducing the applications utilizing such tracers for elucidating the origin and evolution of the solar system.

Course description and aims

At the end of this course, students will be able to understand:
1) the origin of elements and the solar system
2) the timescale for the evolution of early solar system and early earth
3) chemical and isotopic distribution in the solar system and within the planets

Keywords

Elements, Isotopes, Meteorites, Early solar system, Early earth, Chronology

Competencies

  • Specialist skills
  • Intercultural skills
  • Communication skills
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and prepare for the topics with handouts and references.

Course schedule/Objectives

Course schedule Objectives
Class 1

Elements and isotopes

Review the fundamentals of elements and isotopes

Class 2

Origin of elements

Understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis of elements

Class 3

Radioactivity

Understanding of radioactivity

Class 4

Meteoritics

Understanding of meteorites and their chemical components

Class 5

Chronology

Understanding of various chronometers

Class 6

Formation of the Solar System

Understanding of formation and building materials of the Solar System

Class 7

Mass fractionation of stable isotopes

Understanding of mass dependent isotope fractionation

Class 8

Formation and chemical evolution of planetesimals

Formation theory of planetesimals and observations of asteroids

Class 9

Proto-planets and snowlines

Condensation of volatiles and observations of outer Solar System

Class 10

Gas giants and giant impacts

Understanding of formation of gas giants and subsequent giant impacts

Class 11

Formation of the Moon

Understanding of formation of the Moon based on lunar samples

Class 12

Magma ocean and the origin of the atmosphere and ocean

Formation of magma ocean and differentiation of planets

Class 13

Evolution of the atmosphere and oceans

Understanding of chemical evolution on planetary surfaces

Class 14

Habitability and Solar System explorations

Chemical evolution and habitability on Mars and icy moons

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)

Handouts will be provided via T2SCHOLA

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Kenji Notsu "Cosmochemistry and Geochemistry" Asakurashoten (in Japanese)
Mitsuru Ebihara "Chemistry of the solar system" Shokabo (in Japanese)
Jun'ich Matsuda, Hisayoshi Yurimoto "Cosmochemistry and Planetary chemistry" Baihukan (in Japanese)

Evaluation methods and criteria

Students will be assessed on their understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system and early earth, including their timescales.
Students' course scores are based on the reports assigned during the class.

Related courses

  • LAS.A101 : Earth and Space Sciences A
  • LAS.A102 : Earth and Space Sciences B

Prerequisites

No prerequisites