Geochemii

Geochemii, or geochemistry, is the study of the chemical composition of the Earth and the processes that shape it. It examines how elements are distributed among rocks, minerals, waters, soils, and the atmosphere, and how these distributions change through time and space. The field seeks to explain rock formation, weathering, element transport, and the origin of natural waters and minerals, using chemical and isotopic evidence to trace processes from microenvironments to planetary scales. The modern discipline owes much to Victor Goldschmidt, whose classification of elements into lithophile, siderophile, chalcophile, and atmophile groups helped organize geochemical thinking, and to the isotope work of scientists such as Clair Patterson, which advanced dating and source-tracing methods.

Geochemical methods combine field sampling with laboratory analyses. Techniques such as ICP-MS and TIMS measure trace element concentrations and isotope ratios; XRF and ICP-OES provide bulk elemental compositions; laser ablation and chromatography support mineral and fluid analyses. Isotope geochemistry uses stable and radiogenic isotopes to infer sources, ages, temperatures, and fluid histories. Modeling, including mass-balance and reaction-transport approaches, translates data into geochemical histories and processes.

Subfields include terrestrial geochemistry, environmental geochemistry, aqueous geochemistry, mineral chemistry, cosmochemistry, and biogeochemistry. Applications span ore deposit exploration, groundwater and surface-water quality assessment, pollution remediation, climate and environmental reconstructions from isotopic records, and studies of planetary bodies.

Geochemii is a dynamic, interdisciplinary field that integrates chemistry, geology, physics, and biology to interpret Earth and planetary processes.