Course Coordinators
Dr. Gilad Antler, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Ben-Gurion University.
Lecturers
Dr. Gilad Antler, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Ben-Gurion University.
Course Brief Description
Course Structure
A 6-day course at the Interuniversity Institute, which includes lectures, research cruises, group research projects and summary presentations.
Preparations before the course in Eilat: The students will read and prepare a presentation on a term/concept related to the course or on a scientific paper.
Work after the course in Eilat: The students will continue to work on the project reports and will submit group reports a month after the course ends.
Course Content
The course will include chemical and biological aspects of sediments - biogeochemical cycles in the sediment, and rates and fluxes calculations.
Diagenetic processes in the sediment - bacterial respiration processes, chemosynthesis, precipitation of authigenic minerals.
The practical work will include a research cruise and dives during which we will collect sediment cores and porewater for measurements and experiments. In various research projects we will examine the dynamics of solutes and the solid phases in the sediment and evaluate their importance in local and global aspects.
Main Topics:
- The importance of marine sediments in shaping the chemistry of the ocean
- Stable isotopes
- The carbon and oxygen cycle
- The nitrogen cycle
- The sulfur cycle
- The phosphorus cycle
- Geomicrobiology
- Minerals formation in the sediment
- Marginal basins, estuaries and lakes
Prerequisites
"Introduction to Marine Science" course or equivalent course.
Affinity to the field of marine sciences, willingness for intensive and prolonged learning during long hours and intensive lab work in late hours.
Grade Structure
Presentation of a scientific term 25%
A group project report which will be submitted about a month after the course ends 25%
2 exams that will take place during the course 25%
Project summary lectures 15%
Participation 10%
Audience
The course is limited to 18 graduate students from all higher education institutions. Third year undergraduate students will be accepted on the basis of available places and grades.
Language
The language of instruction will be Hebrew, however, if a student / students who do not speak Hebrew will take part in the course, the language of instruction will be English. If the language of instruction is English, Hebrew speakers will be given the option to submit the assignments in Hebrew.