Incorporating Stable Isotope Geochemistry in Undergraduate Education and Research

将稳定同位素地球化学纳入本科教育和研究

• 批准号: 9751139
• 负责人: David Kirschner
• 金额: $ 0.7万
• 依托单位: Saint Louis University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-06-01 至 2000-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9751139&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Incorporating; Stable; Isotope; Geochemistry; Undergraduate

Undergraduate students are rarely given opportunities to learn about stable isotope geochemistry and gain hands-on experience in geochemistry laboratories. This fact is unfortunate because stable isotope geochemistry is more interdisciplinary than most geoscience subdisciplines. Stable isotopes are used, for example, to study global climate change, groundwater/surface water hydrology, and high-temperature fluid rock interaction. Following the construction of two inexpensive stable isotope extraction lines, undergraduate students are experientially learning about stable isotope geochemistry and procedures commonly used in geochemistry laboratories. The new equipment is used by students enrolled in two upper-division courses Groundwater Hydrology and Environmental Geochemistry and is available for use in the research-oriented course entitled Senior Inquiry Research Project. Three-week modules are designed so that students (1) collect water and rocks samples; (2) analyze their samples for the stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen; (3) interpret their results; and (4) write a research report. The class projects are integrated with projects that local environmental firms are investigating once faculty have gained confidence with the functionality of this module. The project can be assessed several times during the tenure of the 2-year project. Students and faculty associated with the module can be asked to evaluate it. Their comments and answers to questions listed in the Summative Evaluation section of the User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation can be reported at the termination of the 2-year project. The implementation, application, and results of the module can be disseminated four ways. This process includes distributing the information on the World Wide Web, publishing in a recognized journal on geoscience education, and presenting at a national GSA meeting. In addition, a video that illustrates the construction of the line and analytical procedures used in the l aboratory can be made available to interested academicians. *

本科生很少有机会学习稳定同位素地球化学，并在地球化学实验室获得实践经验。这一事实是不幸的，因为稳定同位素地球化学比大多数地球科学分支学科更具跨学科性质。例如，稳定同位素被用来研究全球气候变化、地下水/地表水水文和高温流体-岩石相互作用。随着两条廉价的稳定同位素提取线的建设，本科生们正在体验式地学习稳定同位素地球化学和地球化学实验室中常用的程序。新设备供选修两门高年级课程地下水水文学和环境地球化学的学生使用，并可用于以研究为导向的课程，名为高级探究研究项目。为期三周的单元设计让学生(1)收集水和岩石的样本；(2)分析样本中碳、氧和氢的稳定同位素；(3)解释他们的结果；(4)写一份研究报告。课程项目与当地环境公司正在调查的项目相结合，一旦教师对此模块的功能获得信心后，这些项目就会被调查。在为期两年的项目期限内，可以对该项目进行多次评估。与该模块相关的学生和教职员工可以被要求对其进行评估。他们对《项目评价手册》总结性评价部分所列问题的评论和答复可在为期两年的项目结束时报告。该模块的实施、应用和结果可以通过四种方式传播。这一过程包括在万维网上分发信息，在公认的地球科学教育期刊上发表文章，以及在全球地球科学协会的全国会议上发表演讲。此外，还可以向感兴趣的院士提供一段视频，说明L人工流产手术中使用的管线的建造和分析程序。*