Life imparts unique chemical "fingerprints" in ancient and modern environments on Earth. This course will develop the background and methodology that will be used to search for the chemical and physical evidence of life on Mars, Europa, and elsewhere in our solar system and will serve as a primer in astrobiology. Topics will include the origin of the elements, meteorites, stable and radiogenic isotopes, geochemistry, mineralogy, planetary geology, early Earth, and life in extreme environments. |