Course info

1.1 Course Description
This course will introduce the general chemical principles of reaction equilibrium and kinetics
involved in seawater and geochemical cycles to students in marine chemistry, geochemistry,
ecology, oceanography, environmental science and analytical chemistry. Seawater has unique
composition and major inorganic ions dramatically influence the rates and equilibrium of the
chemical reactions in the sea. Therefore this course focuses on imparting detailed knowledge of
the major, minor and trace chemical components and their impacts on the inorganic, organic and
biological interactions prevailing in the seawater and sweater-air interface. It also emphasizes
the fact that even small change in the concentration of certain elements may have a significantly
large influence on global chemical cycling. Special focus is on development and applications of
analytical techniques for accurate determination and chemical speciation in seawater, and on the
effect of pollution on the marine environment.