Molecular Geochemistry

After a brief introduction to organic (geo)chemistry, this lecture will center around organic matter and the biomarker concept. We will define molecular biomarkers, introduce techniques to analyze them, and discuss recent applications to problems from a wide variety of marine scientific disciplines, including chemical oceanography, marine biogeochemistry and microbiology, and paleoceanography.

At the end of this course the student will be able to:
a) utilize both geo- and biomolecules as sources of information for the study of biogeochemical processes.
b) interpret the functional relationships between microbially driven carbon cycling processes and molecular signatures.
c) understand the consequences of secondary production by sedimentary microbes on the use of paleoenvironmental proxies.

Oral exam focusing on all three course topics offered in the module (30 min).

mündliche Prüfung

Killops & Killops (2005) Introduction to organic geochemistry, 2nd edition.
Peters, Walters and Moldowan (2005) The biomarker guide, 2nd edition.

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