Environmental and Resource Geochemistry (ERG)
Processes of rock–water interaction relevant to groundwater quality, remediation of contaminated sites, deep geological disposal of radioactive and toxic wastes, genesis and exploration of mineral resources, and development of secondary resources.
Information: Prof. Anna Harrison (Bern) or Prof. Esther Schwarzenbach (Fribourg)
From a scientific point of view, all of the above applications are linked by a common theme: the chemical and physical interaction between some kind of water, on the one hand, and some kind of solid material (rock, mineral, solid waste etc.) on the other. The curriculum of the Specialization in Environmental and Resource Geochemistry spans this realm of ”water–rock” interaction, in order to prepare students to tackle the huge variety of problems that are encountered in professional practice.
This Specialization aims at equipping graduates with a combination of different skills: understanding of the interaction between chemical, physical, and biological factors that have shaped and still shape the face of our world; ability to critically evaluate of impacts of human activities; expertise in resource generation and sustainable resource use; expertise in state-of-the-art field and laboratory methods; integrating scientific information into sound geological models; ability to formulate and execute a research project; communication of data and results in a professional manner, both in written and oral form; cooperation in national and international research projects.
Examples of topics in which MSc projects may be conducted include field sampling, analysis and geochemical modelling of contaminated groundwaters; experiments on water-rock interaction involving infiltration or exchange apparatus; experiments in underground field laboratories; characterisation of pore fluids and of fluid flow in various rock types; field mapping, geochemical analysis and modelling of hydrothermal ore deposits; isotopic tracing and dating of water–rock interaction; field and analytical studies of soil contamination; experiments related to disposal and recycling of solid wastes. The Institute of Geology at the University of Bern currently has field projects in water–rock interaction running in Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Italy and Oman. Long-term projects are also underway for international organisations, such as the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the Consortia steering the work in the Mont Terri and Grimsel Underground Rock Laboratories.
MSc students have access to a wide range of modern analytical facilities at the host institute, including petrographic microscopy, cathode-luminescence, scanning-electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, Laser-Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, Laser-ablation-ICP-MS, fluid inclusion microthermometry, rock porosity and permeability apparatus, wet-chemical laboratories with atomic-absorption and ion-chromatography, mass-spectrometers for stable isotopes of C, O and H, and for radiogenic isotopes of the K-Ar, Rb-Sr, Nd-Sm, U-Pb, Ca, Mo and He systems. Experimental equipment includes porewater extraction devices, flow-through reaction vessels, exchange columns and hydrothermal autoclaves for high P–T studies. Computational facilities include computer clusters for geochemical modelling and GIS applications. Additional facilities are available at the BeNeFri partner universities and at collaborating research institutes.
Prospective students for the Specialization in “Environmental and Resource Geochemistry” should contact the course coordinator Prof. Anna Harrison (Bern) or Prof. Esther Schwarzenbach (Fribourg).