Isotopes in Environmental Physics

Lecture content:

Stable and radioactive isotopes have a wide range of applications in environmental studies. The isotopic composition of stable elements is widely used to identify their sources. The main application of radioactive isotopes in environmental studies is dating. The objective of the course is to introduce the principles and applications of stable and radioactive isotope analysis to study environmental processes. The lectures about stable isotopes will cover the terminology/notation, the theory of equilibrium and kinetic fractionation as well as the measurement techniques. For the radioactive isotopes the different forms of radioactive decay and the emitted radiation will be presented. Selected problems will be solved by the students in the tutorials.