This course covers chemical thermodynamics in aqueous systems, sorption and partitioning processes of organic and inorganic compounds in the hydrosphere and practical case studies. The objective is to gain quantitative evaluation and prediction capabilities for important hydrogeochemical parameters based on sound thermodynamic concepts. By this, fate and behavior of chemicals in the environment can be predicted.

Taught by: Christiane Zarfl, Stefan Haderlein, Peter Grathwohl

(This course will be renamed to Environmental Chemistry)

This course is on the simulation of the terrestrial water cycle with particular emphasis on computer models for groundwater flow. The class, however, also includes modeling of hydrological processes at the land surface, river hydraulics, and general aspects of modeling spatial processes, such as interpolation methods. Hands-on exercises with computer programs used in practice are combined with introductions to the underlying principles.

Taught by: Olaf Cirpka, Adrian Mellage

(This course will be merged with "Hydrogeology" to "Groundwater Modeling 1")

This module includes a lecture and a field course on hydrogeological field investigation techniques. The curriculum includes pumping tests, slug tests and tracer tests, among others, involving the theoretical background (taught in the lecture), the practical field application, and the analysis of data after the field course.

Taught by: Carsten Leven

(This course will be renamed to "Hydrogeological Field Investigation Techniques")

This module includes a lecture and a lab course on engineering geology. The lecture gives an introduction to the fundamentals of geotechnical engineering (soil and rock classification, geotechnical investigation methods, parameter estimation in soil mechanics). In the lab course experiments are conducted to determine standard hydrogeological and geotechnical parameters of various soil and rock materials.

Taught by: Johannes Giere of Prof. Dr. Ing. E. Vees und Partner Baugrundinstitut GmbH (lecture), Carsten Leven (lab course)

This course discusses the degradation of organic pollutants as well as the consequences of different biogeochemical processes on the fate of inorganic pollutants including bioremediation processes. These topics are discussed in the context of redox zonation, thermodynamics and kinetics of microbial processes. A second focus is on microbe-mineral interactions including biomineralization processes. Lectures as well as students presentations based on recent scientific articles are part of the course.

Taught by: Andreas Kappler, Sara Kleindienst

(This course will be replaced by "Biotransformation of Pollutants" as mandatory course for teh specialization, but can still be chosen as elective class.)

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is one of the most important analytical techniques to determine the occurrence and fate of new emerging polar pollutants in the water cycle, e.g. pharmaceutical residues, corrosion inhibitors, organophosphate flame retardants. The course focuses on principal approaches and applications of LC-MS analysis. This includes the basic principles and operating parameters of electrospray ionization, mass separation and ion detection. Approaches for target and non-target analysis and multi-residue methods are demonstrated by practical examples and can be exercised in an accompanying lab course.

Taught by: Christian Zwiener

This course covers the simulation of (reactive) solute and heat transport. First, reactive processes (inter-phase mass transfer, chemical transformations, microbial growth) and conservative transport are considered separately, followed by the analysis of coupled reactive-transport systems. Like in Environmental Modeling 1, hands-on exercises and in-depth analysis are combined to gain a deep system understanding of reactions and transport of solutes in the subsurface.

Taught by: Adrian Mellage

(This course will be merged with the transport-related parts of "Hydrogeology" and renamed to "Groundwater Modeling 2".)

The flow field within the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) is of interest to not only meteorologists but also to those students who want to know about the role of the atmosphere in environmental science and its application in geography, agriculture, forestry, ecology and engineering. This course aims to present the main features of the ABL and its turbulent characteristics to understand the basic interactions between the atmosphere and the underlying Earth's surface under different regimes.

Taught by: Andreas Platis

(This course will be renamed to "Atmospheric Physics")