Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1968, Volume 31 contains the proceedings of the 4th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on September 16-18, 1968. The papers explore advances in several fields of organic geochemistry, including organic compounds found in sediments, geochemistry of coal and petroleum, and organic geochemistry of the oceans. This book is comprised of 39 chapters and begins with a discussion on the distribution of hydrocarbons and fatty acids in living organisms and in sediments, paying particular attention to biological markers and the carbon skeleton concept. The reader is methodically introduced to the mechanisms of formation of petroleum from sediment organic matter; dissolved organic matter in the oceans; the fatty acid content of tasmanites; and identification of steranes and triterpanes from a geological source using capillary gas liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The chemistry of coal and crude oil metamorphism is also considered, along with the racemization of amino acids on silicates. The final chapter focuses on carbon polytypism in meteorites. This volume will be useful to organic chemists, geochemists, and all those interested in the field of organic geochemistry.

This volume presents the most significant papers given during the 13th International Meeting in Organic Geochemistry. The intention of the publication is to provide the scholars of this science with its state-of-the-art and recent papers not only in academic research but above all in practical applications. Several papers attest to an increased use of organic geochemistry not only in the oil industry, during all phases of petroleum exploration, but also in the other research areas of coal origin and structure, metallogeny, sedimentology, molecular palaeontology, biochemistry and pollution.

My work Geochemistry oj organic matter in the ocean first appeared in Russian in 1978. Since then much progress has been made in the exploration of various forms of organic matter in the ocean: dissolved, colloidal, organic matter sus pended in particles and that contained in bottom sediments and in interstitial waters. The appropriate evidence is found in hundreds of articles and several re view works, such as Andersen (1977), Biogeochimie de [a matiere organique a ['interjace eau-sedimentmarine (1980), Duursma and Dawson (1981). A great amount of new information has been obtained in the Soviet Union's scientific institutions on the composition and distribution in natural waters and bottom sediments of organic matter and its separate components playing a crucial role in the formation of the chemical and biological structure of the ocean and its productivity, in the biogeochemistry of the elements and geochemistry of organic matter in the Earth's sedimentary cover. The areas of exploration have expanded over the past four-and-a-half years to embrace many new, little-known regions, including the Arctic seas. In contrast to the three preceeding decades, the research has been focused on investigating the existing forms, the distribution and accumulation of organic matter in near continental oceanic zones between land and sea, and in river estuaries.

This extensively updated new edition of the widely acclaimed Treatise on Geochemistry has increased its coverage beyond the wide range of geochemical subject areas in the first edition, with five new volumes which include: the history of the atmosphere, geochemistry of mineral deposits, archaeology and anthropology, organic geochemistry and analytical geochemistry. In addition, the original Volume 1 on "Meteorites, Comets, and Planets" was expanded into two separate volumes dealing with meteorites and planets, respectively. These additions increased the number of volumes in the Treatise from 9 to 15 with the index/appendices volume remaining as the last volume (Volume 16). Each of the original volumes was scrutinized by the appropriate volume editors, with respect to necessary revisions as well as additions and deletions. As a result, 27% were republished without major changes, 66% were revised and 126 new chapters were added. In a many-faceted field such as Geochemistry, explaining and understanding how one sub-field relates to another is key. Instructors will find the complete overviews with extensive cross-referencing useful additions to their course packs and students will benefit from the contextual organization of the subject matter Six new volumes added and 66% updated from 1st edition. The Editors of this work have taken every measure to include the many suggestions received from readers and ensure comprehensiveness of coverage and added value in this 2nd edition The esteemed Board of Volume Editors and Editors-in-Chief worked cohesively to ensure a uniform and consistent approach to the content, which is an amazing accomplishment for a 15-volume work (16 volumes including index volume)!

This book has been prepared by the collaborative effort of two somewhat separate technical groups: the researchers at the Institute for Petroleum and Organic Geochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jii lich (KFA), and the technical staff of Integrated Exploration Systems (IES). One of us, Donald R. Baker, from Rice University, Houston, has spent so much time at KFA as a guest scientist and researcher that it is most appropriate for him to contribute to the book. During its more than 20-year history the KFA group has made numerous and significant contributions to the understanding of petroleum evolution. The KFA researchers have emphasized both the field and laboratory approaches to such important problems as source rock recognition and evaluation, oil and gas generation, maturation of organic matter, expulsion and migration of hydrocarbons, and crude oil composition and alteration. IES Jiilich has been a leader in the development and application of numerical simulation (basin modeling) procedures. The cooperation between the two groups has resulted in a very fruitful synergy effect both in the development of modeling software and in its application. The purpose of the present volume developed out of the 1994 publication by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists of a collection of individually authored papers entitled The Petroleum System - From Source to Trap, edited by L. B. Magoon and W. G. Dow.