Part 1: Contribution of Geochemistry to the Study of the Earth, 1
1. Geochemistry and Secular Geochemical Evolution of the Earth’s Mantle and Lower Crust Balz S. Kamber
2. Crustal Evolution – A Mineral Archive Perspective C.J. Hawkesworth, A.I.S. Kemp, B. Dhuime and C.D. Storey

3. Discovering the History of Atmospheric Oxygen Heinrich D. Holland
4. Geochemistry of the Oceanic Crust Karsten M. Haase

Explosive volcanic eruptions eject large volumes of high surface area, metal-rich dust and ash into the atmosphere. In areas near major volcanic eruptions, humans often interact with these materials and may bioaccumulate heavy and toxic metals. To evaluate these interactions, we examine bronchoalveolar lavage samples (BAL) collected from people exposed to the paroxysmal 2001 Etna eruption.

This book is an outgrowth of my interest in the chemistry of sedimentary rocks. In teaching geochemistry, I realized that the best examples for many chemical processes are drawn from the study of ore deposits. Consequently, we initiated a course at The University of Cincinnati entitled "Sedimentary Ore Deposits," which serves as the final quarter course for both our sedimentary petrology and our ore deposits sequence, and this book is based on that teaching experience. Because of my orientation, the treatment given is perhaps more sedimentological than is usually found in books on ore deposits, but I hope that this proves to be an advantage. It will also be obvious that I have drawn heavily on the ideas and techniques of Robert Garrels.

The term “geochemistry” was first used by the German-Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein* in 1838. You might guess, merely from the etymology of the word, that the field of geochemistry is somehow a marriage of the fields of geology and chemistry. That would be a good guess. But just how are chemistry and geology combined within geochemistry; what is the relationship between them? Perhaps the best explanation would be to state that in geochemistry, we use the tools of chemistry to solve geological problems; that is, we use chemistry to understand the Earth and how it works.

Geochemistry is a branch of earth science. Since it is a field of study that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms in geologic environments, it often focuses on determining processes that control the abundance and composition of minerals and their distribution in the earth’s crust. Geochemistry also plays a vital role in environmental soil and water systems in identifying and modulating environmental problems, and in studying the composition, structure and processes of the earth.

The geochemical analysis of fades is a special part of geochemistry and geology. The development of this research was initiated by BISCHOF (1847-1851), who was the first to attempt to recognize sediments of different origin by geochemical means. In his now famous book he listed some chemical elements belonging to typical environments, such as boron in marine sediments and metallic sulphides in zones rich in sulphuretted hydrogens. Moreover he was the first author to suppose that all "soluble rocks" of the continents must be present in the oceans. This early concept of facies was supplemented by ROTH (1879-1890) who discovered new elements in the ocean waters and in the ashes of marine organisms. However, the data used by both of these workers were quantitatively unsatisfactory and can only be considered as the qualitative results of inadequate chemical analyses <...>

Geochemistry is the study of the development, and distribution of chemical elements on Earth, which are found in rock-forming minerals and their byproducts, as well as in living beings, water, and the environment. The elemental geochemical variation of sediments is used to recognize the mechanisms controlling the estuarine environment and serves as a baseline for assessing the environmental effect in the future. Geochemistry is a unique field that deals with the study of mineral deposits.

This textbook is intended as an introduction to geochemistry for geology students in their senior year or in their first year of graduate work.At that time in their education, students are ready to relearn those principles of chemistry that are especially applicable to the study of geological processes. Geochemistry can enhance their understanding of these processes and can teach them to apply principles of chemistry to the solution of geological problems. Geologists in virtually all branches of the science can benefit from an introductory course in geochemistry because it can help them to make quantitative predictions about the outcome of chemical reactions that occur in the context of many geological processes <...>