2026 (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
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- CHM.B334
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- 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.
This course aims to examine the application of chemistry to the interpretation of various volcanic processes.
Course description and aims
Students will be able to explain the fundamental chemical characteristics and reactions of gases, liquids, and solids associated with volcanic phenomena.
Keywords
geochemistry, volcanic gas, volcanic eruption, disaster mitigation
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 |
Students will understand the fragmentation and their influence of volatiles on eruption styles |
| Class 10 | Volcanic eruption, volcanic cloud, and pyloclastic density currents |
Students will understand the mechanisms of volcanic eruptions based on theory and observations. |
| Class 11 | Heat and water transfers in volcanoes |
Students will understand the groundwater flow in volcanoes on the basis of Darcy's law |
| Class 12 | Stable isotope geohecmistry |
Students will understand methods for investigating volcanic activity using stable isotopes of water |
| Class 13 | Geothermal activity at volcanoes |
An overview of volcanic thermal activities including fumaroles, hot springs and volcanic lakes |
| Class 14 | Benefits and hazards of volcanoes |
Students will 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
The above learning objectives will be evaluated through report assignment and exams.
Related courses
- EPS.A332 ： Volcanology
- CHM.B532 ： Global Environmental Chemistry
Prerequisites
Nothing special.