© L. Bruce Railsback, Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2501 U.S.A.
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This website makes available some one-page explanations of fundamental ideas in mineralogy and geochemistry. The individual documents are designed as stand-alone explanations or illustrations, and they can be used as course handouts or Powerpoint illustrations. Virtually all of the individual documents involve graphic presentations or explanations of ideas intended to make concepts more accessible to students. The pages are available here independently in pdf and jpeg formats. In addition, for each of the six miajor sections. there is a powerpoint file with landscape-format jpegs of each page. Users of these illustrations in Powerpoint lectures to students are reminded that some of the illustrations carry a lot of information. Users can customize their lectures by using Powerpoint's "basic shapes" tools to add filled rectangles that conceal a part or parts of any given illustration. Removal or reduction of the rectangles can then unveil more of that illustration in successive Powerpoint "slides". More documents will be added as they are generated - the most recent additions occurred on 26 October 2009. The author hopes to string together these documents into a coherent e-book someday. For both reasons, persons who find some of these documents useful are encouraged to check back later to see what has been added.
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Table of Contents: Basics of Geochemistry: Abundance and speciation of the elements Redox chemistry Solutions and aqueous speciation of ions Solutions, CO2, HCO3-, CO32- and CaCO3
Basics of Mineralogy:
Mineral Groups:
Properties of Minerals:
Topics in Geochemistry: |
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Atoms |
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Abundance of the elements |
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Binding energy and elemental abundance |
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Abundance and form of the most abundant elements in Earth's continental crust |
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Cations and anions I: definitions |
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Cations and anions I: some geochemical realities |
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Cations and anions III: geochemical perspectives on ionic bonding |
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Cations and anions IV: the meaning of the superscripts |
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Variation in ionic radius between and within elements |
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Ionic Potential |
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Hardness and softness of ions I: an introduction |
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Hardness and softness of ions II: a spectrum across the periodic table |
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An Earth Scientist's Periodic Table of the Elements and Their Ions |
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A bit of the Earth Scientist's Periodic Table of the Elements and Their Ions as a cross-section of the Earth |
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Categorizing cations |
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Categorizing anions |
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The importance of oxygen |
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The special situation of silicon |
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A brief review of redox chemistry |
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Common redox reactions in the oxidation of organic matter |
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Characterization of solutions by pH and Eh - the canonical view |
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Characterization of solutions by pH and Eh - a data-based view |
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Why oxidation commonly leads to acidification |
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Redox, ionic potential, and the behavior of cations |
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The geochemical redox conditions of some important elements |
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| Also see the section on Organic geochemistry below. | ||||||
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Solutions, colloids, and suspensions |
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Speciation of cations in aqueous solution I |
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Speciation of cations in aqueous solution II |
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The power of polydentate ligands |
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Aqueous speciation of some hard cations across the periodic table |
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Variation in hydrated radius of ions |
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Aquoacidity of cations, in context |
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Silicon in aqueous solution |
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Conductivity as a proxy for total dissolved solids |
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Speciation of inorganic carbon in aqueous solution |
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Carbonate equilibria in solutions exposed to the atmosphere I |
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Carbonate equilibria in solutions exposed to the atmosphere II |
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Reactions for the dissolution of CaCO3 |
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Reactions for the precipitation of CaCO3 |
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| Also see the page on "Solubility of common carbonate minerals" in the section on Carbonate minerals below. |
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The definition of "mineral", Part I: The 1800s (and their influence today) |
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The definition of "mineral", Part II: The 1900s |
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The definition of "mineral", Part III: The 2000s, and a modern definition |
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Compendia of minerals |
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Crystallinity and mineral stability I |
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Crystallinity and mineral stability II |
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The ubiquity of crystallinity |
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Coordination of anions around cations |
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Two-fold and three-fold coordination |
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Four-fold (tetrahedral) coordination |
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Six-fold (octohedral) coordination |
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Eight-fold (cubic) coordination |
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Twelve-fold coordination |
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Coordination and radius ratios |
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Variation in C-O and Si-O coordination |
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Chemical Bonding |
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Mineralogical implications of the hardness and softness of ions |
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Repulsion between cations, and mineral stability |
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Linkage of polyhedra in minerals |
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A table of systematic mineralogy I: basic categories |
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A table of systematic mineralogy II: redox implications |
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A table of systematic mineralogy III: redox pairs |
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A table of systematic mineralogy IV: numbers of minerals |
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Notes to accompany "A table of systematic mineralogy" |
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A table of hybrid minerals |
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Radical groups in minerals, and the oxysalts, |
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Patterns in the compositions of minerals I: carbonates and sulfates |
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Patterns in the compositions of minerals II: silicates and phosphates |
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Patterns in the compositions of minerals III: the oxysalt or "ate" minerals |
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Patterns in the compositions of minerals IV: chlorides and oxides |
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Patterns in the compositions of minerals V: the "ide" minerals |
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Patterns in the compositions of minerals VI: a summary |
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Surface features on a growing or dissolving crystal: terraces, kinks, and steps |
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Particle size and reactivity: It's all about edges and corners, rather than surface area |
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An explanation of the free-energy barrier to nucleation of crystals |
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Thermodynamics of nucleation of a new crystal vs. growth on an existing crystal |
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A thermodynamic perspective on Ostwald ripening |
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A thermodynamic perspective on Ostwald's Step Law |
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An illustrative example of Ostwald's Step Law: silica |
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An explanation of transport-limited and surface-reaction-limited crystal growth |
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How rate of solute supply can control crystal morphology |
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Sorption: adsorption and absorption |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption I: some historical scientific context |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption II: the interaction of H2O with mineral surfaces |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption III: variation with pH |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption IV: a diffuse layer in the Gouy-Chapman model |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption V: a compact layer in the Stern model |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption VI: models of specific or "Type II" adsorption |
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Surfaces, double layers, and adsorption VII: different surfaces in one crystal |
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Adsorption of cations, and adsorption isotherms |
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An explanation of "point of zero charge" - Part I |
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An explanation of "point of zero charge" - Part II |
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An explanation of why distribution coefficients vary with precipitation rate and temperature |
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Generalized trends in silicate minerals in igneous rocks |
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Bowen's Reaction Series I: The original document |
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Bowen's Reaction Series II: A silicon-centered explanation |
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Bowen's Reaction Series III: Melting temperatures of oxides |
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Bowen's Reaction Series IV: Toward a broader explanation |
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Bowen's Reaction Series V: A summary explanation |
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Clay Mineralogy I: Phyllosilicate Minerals |
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Clay Mineralogy II: T-O-T phyllosilicate Minerals |
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Clay Mineralogy III: Compositions of T-O-T phyllosilicate minerals |
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Why clay (Al-phyllosilicates) is clay (fine-grained minerals) |
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X-ray diffraction and the powder method |
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Cation sites in the common carbonate minerals |
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CaCO3 minerals |
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Factors favoring precipitation of CaCO3 as calcite or as aragonite |
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Mg-bearing carbonate minerals |
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Solubility of common carbonate minerals |
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Occurrence of common carbonate minerals |
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The diversity of carbonate minerals |
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The many wonders of CaCO3 |
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| Also see the section on Solutions, CO2, HCO3-, CO32- and CaCO3 above. | ||||||
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The many forms of silica (SiO2) I: minerals and solutes |
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The many forms of silica (SiO2) II: rocks and other aggregates |
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Properties of minerals |
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Density of Minerals I: Inter-radical cations |
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Density of Minerals II: Complex anions in oxysalts |
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Density of Minerals III: Oxides and stoichiometry |
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Density of Minerals IV: Simple anions |
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Density of Minerals V: Coordination |
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Density of Minerals VI: The effect of structural H2O |
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Density of Minerals VII: The effect of OH- in oxysalts |
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Density of Minerals VIII: The significance of crystal structure |
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Hardness of Minerals I: the Mohs Scale |
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Hardness of Minerals II: Variation with structure and bonding |
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Hardness of Minerals III: hydrous vs. anhydrous minerals |
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Hardness of Minerals IVa: variation with bond length and cation size |
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Hardness of Minerals IVb: variation with bond length and anion size |
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Hardness of Minerals Va: Variation among oxides and oxysalts |
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Hardness of Minerals Vb: Variation among oxides and oxysalts |
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Hardness of Minerals VI: Effect of crystal face and direction |
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Density and hardness I: a first look |
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Density and hardness II: a look using normalized density |
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Density and hardness III: Knoop hardness and normalized density |
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Melting temperature and hardness of minerals |
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Color of minerals |
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Color in the olivine-group minerals |
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Color in carbonate minerals |
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Isotopes |
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Relative abundance of stable isotopes: even-odd relationships |
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Commonly used stable isotopes |
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Isotope notations: %s, δ values, and ε values |
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A simple mass spectrometer |
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Isotopic mixing curves |
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Oxgyen isotope composition of calcite as a function of temperature and water composition |
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A graphic explanation of fractionation of oxygen isotopes between water and calcite |
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Rock-water ratios and the stability of δ13C and δ18O values in carbonate materials |
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Correlation of charge and δ13C in Earth-surface C-bearing materials |
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Parallels in fractionation of isotopes and partitioning of trace elements |
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Half-lives and abundances of radioactive isotopes |
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Organic and inorganic compounds |
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Organic and inorganic compounds, and biogenic and non-biogenic materials |
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Organic structures and functional groups relevant to geochemistry and environmental chemistry |
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C-H-O chemistry of some naturally occurring organic substances |
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C-H-O chemistry of some naturally occurring redox reactions |
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| Also see the section on Redox chemistry above. | ||||||
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Why the gases of the atmosphere are gases |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere I |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere II: the big two |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere III: the noble gases |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere IV: water vapor |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere V: the major carbon-bearing species |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere VI: anthropogenic inputs |
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The multiple forms of oxygen |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere VII: the O-bearing radicals |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere VIII: the role of the OH radical |
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The chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere IX: residence times |
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Acid Rain I: the big picture |
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Acid Rain II: the details |
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The Suess Effect |
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Chemistry of some river waters with respect to bedrock lithology |
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Variation in groundwater chemistry with host lithology |
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Variation in groundwater pH and total dissolved solids with depth |
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Change in pH and total dissolved solids of groundwater with depth and time |
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Variation in concentration of dissolved silica with depth |
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Variation in dissolved O2 with depth in groundwater |
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Chemistry of lacustrine waters |
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Carbon dioxide in soil |
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Goldich's Weathering Series explained in terms of bond strength |
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Mineralogy of soils from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge of the southeastern United States |
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Soil development through time I |
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Soil development through time II |
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The twenty-four most abundant solutes in seawater |
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Marine nutrient cycles I: Nitrogen |
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Marine nutrient cycles II: Phosphorous |
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Marine nutrient cycles III: Silicon |
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Marine nutrient cycles IV: Iron |
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Iron as a limiting nutrient in the ocean |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans I: Nutrients (nitrate, phosphate, silica) |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans Ia: Nutrients and biological productivity |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans II: Dissolved oxygen (O2) |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans III: Carbon dioxide (CO2) |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans IIIa: Carbon dioxide and the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans IV: Oxidation of sinking organic particles - a summary |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans V: Scavenged ions |
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Variation in concentration of solutes in the oceans VI: The conservative solutes |
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Concentrations and residence times of solutes in seawater I: an oceanographic perspective |
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Concentrations and residence times of solutes in seawater II: a geochemical perspective |
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Concentrations and residence times of solutes in seawater III: a combined perspective |
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Oxygen isotope records of Cenozoic global cooling and glaciation |
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The Warm Saline Deep Water hypothesis |
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Box models of the long-term carbon cycle |
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Boron in marine calcite as an indicator of ancient PCO2 |
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DDT, Part I: chemical and ecological aspects |
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DDT, Part II: Silent Spring and the banning of agricultural use of DDT |
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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related compounds: a gallery |
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CFCs and related compounds, and their environmental history |
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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related compounds: a tabular summary |
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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related compounds: atmospheric concentrations through time |
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Simple CFCs in the spectrum from carbon tetrachloride to carbon tetrafluoride |
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Toxicology and past use of Pb (lead) |
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Greenland ice records of lead transport in the atmosphere |
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Deep-basin brines I: Density, TDS, and chloride |
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Deep-basin brines II: Variation in major cations |
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Deep-basin brines III: Dominance of Ca2+ among cations |
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Deep-basin brines IV: Dominance of Cl- among anions |
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Deep-basin brines V: Effect of Ca2+'s dominance on pH and SO42- concentration |
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Deep-basin brines VI: Comparison with shallower groundwater |
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Rocks, Part I |
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Rocks, Part II - the rock "cycle" |
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Rocks, Part III |
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The origin of sedimentary rocks |
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Steno's princples of sedimentary layers |
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Earth at a glance |
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Sources of geological information in the field |
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Large-scale flow in Earth Systems |
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Interactions of currents, tides, and waves |
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The age of the Earth and our solar system |
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The standard geologic time scale |
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A Phanerozoic paleoenvironmental timeline |
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Possible causes of sea-level change |
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Oxygen isotope records of Cenozoic global cooling and glaciation |
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Terminology and timing of some later Quaternary climatic events |
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The size of things |
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| Finally, for those who feel the need for one: | ||||||
Title page |
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Terms of use: Academic instructors are encouraged to use the material above in their classes, either as in-class illustrations or as handouts. Permission from the author for such use is not required, but notice to the author of such use is appreciated. Permission from the author is required for use in publications, Web-based documents, or other non-classroom use.
e-mail to Bruce Railsback (rlsbk@gly.uga.edu)
Railsback's main web page
UGA Geology Department web page