Knowra Geochemistry Geochemistry Geochemistry studies Earth’s chemical composition, the distribution of elements and compounds, and the chemical processes that shape rocks, water, soil, and the atmosphere.
Chemical Weathering : The breakdown or alteration of minerals through chemical reactions with water, gases, and dissolved substances. It transforms exposed rocks and transfers dissolved elements into soils and waters.
Chemical Element : A substance consisting of atoms with the same number of protons. Element identities provide the basic units whose abundance and movement geochemistry tracks.
Ore Deposit : A concentration of minerals containing valuable elements that can be extracted economically. Geochemical surveys identify element anomalies associated with mineralization.
Geology : The study of Earth’s materials, structure, history, and processes. Geochemistry is a chemical approach to questions about geological materials and processes.
Victor Moritz Goldschmidt : A Norwegian geochemist who established influential principles for element distribution among minerals and phases. His element classifications and partitioning ideas helped shape modern geochemistry.
Geochemical Cycle : The movement and transformation of chemical elements among Earth’s reservoirs over time. It connects local reactions to element exchange among rocks, oceans, air, and life.
Mineral : A naturally occurring crystalline solid with a defined chemical composition and atomic structure. Minerals are the principal solid hosts for elements in rocks.
Groundwater Geochemistry : The study of dissolved substances and reactions in groundwater. Its measurements assess water quality, contaminant transport, and aquifer reactions.
Cosmochemistry : The study of the chemical composition and processes of matter beyond Earth, including meteorites and planetary materials. It extends chemical questions from Earth to the solar system and beyond.
Frank Wigglesworth Clarke : An American chemist who compiled estimates of the chemical composition of Earth’s crust. His systematic abundance estimates helped make crustal chemistry a quantitative field.
Show all 29