12.085 Seminar in Environmental Science

Fall 2005

Graph of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa.

Atmospheric CO₂ levels (measured in parts per million by volume (ppmv) of dry air) from 1958 to 2004 as measured at Mauna Loa. The cause for the yearly rise and fall is the annual cycle of plant respiration. The cause of the increasing trend is supposedly the anthropogenic release of CO₂, mainly due to the use of fossil energy sources. (Image courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons, data provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.)

Course Highlights

This course features student work in the assignments section and a comprehensive reading list.

Course Description

Required for all Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences majors in the Environmental Science track, this course is an introduction to current research in the field. It stresses the integration of central scientific concepts in environmental policy making and the chemistry, biology, and geology environmental science tracks. It revisits the selected core themes for students who have already acquired a basic understanding of environmental science concepts. The topic for this term is Global Respiration.

Syllabus

Course Description

This term's theme is Global Respiration. Respiratory processes return carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and oceans; any inefficiencies can change carbon dioxide levels in the short term and oxygen levels in the long term. Observations indicate that respiration has no characteristic time scale. This undergraduate seminar will address these and related observations, seek theories for them, and consider their applications to problems ranging from contemporary global warming to the evolution of complex life.

Student Assignments

Students are required to read and discuss scientific literature, assemble and analyze relevant data, formulate and criticize quantitative theories, and provide frequent oral reports. An oral and written report on a topic of individual interest is due late in the term.

Prerequisites

Environmental Earth Science Field Course (12.120), and Strange Bedfellows: Science and Environmental Policy (12.103), or permission of instructor.

Grading

Grading criteria.
ACTIVITIES	PERCENTAGES
Class Participation	50%
Final Report	50%

Calendar

Course calender.
LEC #	TOPICS
1	Introduction to the Carbon Cycle and Models of Respiratory Decay
2	More Models of Respiration
3	Organic Matter in Soils and Marine Sediments
4	Carbon Loss from Soils
5	Oxygen Exposure Time and Organic Carbon Burial
6	Carbon Sequestration I
7	Carbon Sequestration II
8	Approaches to Reducing Atmospheric CO₂ Levels
9	Student Presentations Sorption of Organic Matter by Clay Geologic Carbon Sequestration
10	Student Presentations (cont.) Biomass Fuel and Reforestation Forests as a Sink for CO₂
11	Student Presentations (cont.) Hydrogen Fuel Cells and the Reduction of CO₂ Emissions Ocean Fertilization
12	Student Presentation (cont.) Oceanic Sequestration of CO₂Instructor Presentation Asymptotic Theory of Detrital Decomposition

Readings

Course readings.
LEC #	TOPICS	READINGS
1	Introduction to the Carbon Cycle and Models of Respiratory Decay
2	More Models of Respiration	Boudreau, B. P., and B. R. Ruddick. "On a reactive continuum representation of organic matter diagenesis." American Journal of Science 291 (1991): 507-538. Middleburg, J. J. "A simple rate model for organic matter decomposition in marine sediments." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 53 (1989): 1577-1581. Hedges, J. I., and R. G. Keil. "Sedimentary organic matter preservation: an assessment and speculative synthesis." Marine Chemistry 49 (1995): 81-115.
3	Organic Matter in Soils and Marine Sediments	Hedges, J. I., and J. M. Oades. "Comparative organic geochemistries of soils and marine sediments." Organic Geochemistry 27 (1997): 319-361.
4	Carbon Loss from Soils	Bellamy, P. H., P. J. Loveland, R. I. Bradley, R. M. Lark, and G. J. D. Kirk. "Carbon losses from all soils across England." Nature 437 (2005): 245-248. Schulze, E. D., and A. Freibauer. "Carbon unlocked from soils." Nature 437 (2005): 205-206. Knorr, W., I. C. Prentice, J. I. House, and E. A. Holland. "Long-term sensitivity of soil carbon turnover to warming." Nature 433 (2005): 298-301. Powlson, D. "Will soil amplify climate change?" Nature 433 (2005): 204-205.
5	Oxygen Exposure Time and Organic Carbon Burial	Hartnett, H. E., R. G. Keil, J. I. Hedges, and A. H. Devol. "Influence of oxygen exposure time on organic carbon preservation in continental margin sediments." Nature 391 (1998): 572-574. Hedges, J. I., F. S. Hu, A. H. Devol, E. Hartnett, E. Tsamakis, and R. G. Keil. "Sedimentary organic matter preservation: a test for selective degradation under oxic conditions." American Journal of Science 299 (1999): 529-555. Gelinas, Y., J. A. Baldock, and J. I. Hedges. "Organic carbon composition of marine sediments: effect of oxygen exposure on oil generation potential." Science 294 (2001): 145-148.
6	Carbon Sequestration I	Herzog, H., B. Eliasson, and O. Kaarstad. "Capturing greenhouse gases." Scientific American 282 (February 2000): 72-79. Socolow, R. H. "Can we bury global warming." Scientific American 293 (2005): 49-55.
7	Carbon Sequestration II	Chisholm, S. W., P. G. Falkowski, and J. J. Cullen. "Dis-crediting ocean fertilization." Science 294 (2001): 309-310. Johnson, Kenneth S., David M. Karl, S. W. Chisholm, P. G. Falkowski, and J. J. Cullen. "Is Ocean Fertilization Credible and Creditable?" Science 296 (April 19, 2002): 467-468. Johnson, K. S., and D. M. Karl. "Is ocean fertilization credible and creditable?" Science 296 (2002): 467.
8	Approaches to Reducing Atmospheric CO₂ Levels	Pacala, S., and R. Socolow. "Stabilization wedges: Solving the climate problem for the next 50 years with current technologies." Science 305 (2004): 968-972.
9	Student Presentations Sorption of Organic Matter by Clay Geologic Carbon Sequestration
10	Student Presentations (cont.) Biomass Fuel and Reforestation Forests as a Sink for CO₂
11	Student Presentations (cont.) Hydrogen Fuel Cells and the Reduction of CO₂ Emissions Ocean Fertilization
12	Student Presentation (cont.) Oceanic Sequestration of CO₂ Instructor Presentation Asymptotic Theory of Detrital Decomposition