This course will introduce some of the main quantitative methods available for the quantitative treatment of geochemical data, as well as the main modelling tools. Emphasis will both be on conceptual understanding of these methods as well as on their practical application, using key software packages to analyse real geochemical datasets.

This lecture and the corresponding exercises provide the students with an introduction to the concepts and tools of programming and scientific data analysis. Using examples from Earth Sciences, the students solve problems of increasing complexity using the programming language Python. Students also learn how to effectively visualise different kinds of datasets.

Fundamentals of Geochemistry I is designed as self-study course for new MSc students who have gaps in geochemical education. The topics of this course are related to the chemistry of the Earth and the Solar System.

Fundamentals of Geochemistry II is designed as self-study course for new MSc students who have gaps in geochemical education. Topics are related to generation of magmas and their chemical and isotopic signatures.

The unit will investigate the geochemical approaches used to understand the dynamics of the surface Earth, with an emphasis on geochemical archives preserved in ocean sediments. The class will be organised into three themes, each treating a different aspect of surface Earth chemistry and how it is recorded in archives - mainly ocean sediments but also including others such as ice-cores and loess.

The surface Earth is often thought of as a set of interacting systems, often with feedbacks between them. These interacting systems control the tectonics, geomorphology, climate, and biology of the surface Earth. To fully understand the nature of the Earth System, including the controls on its past evolution, its present state, and its future, an integrated perspective is required.