The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and their interaction with the hydrosphere and the atmosphere. This book presents leading research in the field. Preface; Implications of complex glacial deposits for till geochemical exploration: Examples from the central Fennoscandian ice sheet; Geochemical modelling of concentrated mine waters: A comparison of the Pitzer ion-interaction theory with the ion-association model for the study of melanterite solubility in San Telmo mine (Huelva, Spain); Geochemical Anomalies Connected with Great Earthquakes in China; Structural Characterisation of Kerogen by Ruthenium Tetroxide Oxidation; Mucous Macroaggregates in the Northern Adriatic; Geochemical signals and paleoclimate changes in a 16,000 14C year sedimentary record from Lake Gucheng, eastern China; Biogeochemical evaluation of soil covers for base metal tailings, Ag-Pb-Zn Cannington mine, Australia; The Geochemical Characteristics of Rare Earth Elements in Granitic Laterites in Hainan Island, China; Index.

This work summarizes the historical progression of the field of lithium (Li) isotope studies and provides a comprehensive yet succinct overview of the research applications toward which they have been directed. In synthesizing the historical and current research, the volume also suggests prospective future directions of study. Not even a full decade has passed since the publication of a broadly inclusive summary of Li isotope research around the globe (Tomascak, 2004). In this short time, the use of this isotope system in the investigation of geo- and cosmochemical questions has increased dramatically, due, in part, to the advent of new analytical technology at the end of the last millennium. Lithium, as a light element that forms low-charge, moderate-sized ions, manifests a number of chemical properties that make its stable isotope system useful in a wide array of geo- and cosmochemical research fields.

Applied Geochemistry: Advances in Mineral Exploration Techniques is a book targeting all levels of exploration geologists, geology students and geoscientists working in the mining industry. This reference book covers mineral exploration techniques from multiple dimensions, including the application of statistics - both principal component analysis and factor analysis - to multifractal modeling. The book explains these approaches step-by-step and gives their limitations. In addition to techniques and applications in mineral exploration, Applied Geochemistry describes mineral deposits and the theories underpinning their formation through worldwide case studies.

The second volume of this series consists of three parts. Part I focuses on the research on intracrystalline reactions. This work, which began nearly two decades ago, is critically reviewed by Ghose and Ganguly in Chapter 1. Besides the review, the authors include some of their previously unpublished work to demonstrate how future research could aid in obtaining data on thermodynamics of solid solutions and in understanding the cooling history of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The latter is also the theme adopted by Kretz in the second chapter, which examines the redistribution of Fe and Mg in coexisting silicates during cooling. Chapter 3 contains new data on Fe-Mg distribution in clinopyroxenes. Dal Negro and his co-authors have selected a series of clinopyroxenes from volcanic rocks and present site occupancy data on several clinopyroxenes of intermediate compositions. The data set has not been published before and is the first of its kind. Part II of this book begins with a chapter on melts by Gaskell, who explores the relationship between density and structure of silicate melts. This is followed by the synthesis of data generated in the U.S.S.R. by Shmulovich and his co-authors on fluids. Blencoe, Merkel and Seil present a thorough analysis of the phase equilibrium data on feldspars coexisting with fluids in the third chapter in this part.

Petroleum geochemistry has turned out to be more than another step in the direction to quantify geology and geosciences in general. Petroleum geochemistry as it is today may very well be the triggering event that brings the other branches of geosciences like sedimentology, stratigraphy, structural geology, geophysics and others to a fruitful synthesis as evidenced by integrated basin studies.

This book is a contribution to the International Year of Planet Earth arising from the 33rd International Geological Congress, held in Oslo, Norway during August 2008. The first section of the book considers aspects of geochemical processes which led to the development of the solid Earth as it is today. The second portion of the book shows how the rapidly-evolving analytical tools and approaches presently used by geochemists may be used to solve emerging environmental and other societal problems. This unique collection of reviews, with contributions from a range of internationally distinguished scientists, will be invaluable reading for advanced students and others interested in the central role geochemistry in the earth sciences.

Comprehensive overview of the spectroscopic, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques used in planetary remote sensing.