Elements: Himalayan Leucogranites
January 07, 2025
The Himalaya, the youngest and largest mountain range on Earth, is home to 10 of the world's 14 mountain peaks higher than 8000 meters above sea level, including the highest Qomolangma Peak, widely known as Mt. Everest (8848 m). Leucogranites are exposed intermittently throughout over 2000 km along the crest of the Himalaya, forming on the summits or as an essential component of these high peaks. These Himalayan leucogranites are quintessential examples of crust anatexis associated with collisional orogenesis. They provide a rare opportunity to explore the interplay of geodynamics, tectonics, and magmatism in a classic continental collisional setting. Extensive studies on these leucogranites have significantly advanced our understanding of crustal anatexis, felsic magma differentiation, and the tectonic evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan Orogen. This issue of Elements reviews the petrogenesis and significance of Himalayan leucogranites, focusing on their tectonic and geodynamic context, source rocks, petrology, geochemistry, and genetic links to orogenesis and economic resources. This issue not only summarizes the state-of-theart research on Himalayan leucogranites but also presents an example of how a multidisciplinary approach can elucidate granite petrogenesis and associated mineralization and orogenic evolution.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
Annual Report to Our Members
October 14, 2024
The GS is pleased to present this report summarizing the annual activities of the society for 2023. It is designed to present important facts about the programs and finances of the society in a concise format. We welcome your comments on the report by contacting the business office.
Annual GS Members Meeting
October 09, 2024
The GS will hold its annual meeting of the membership on Wednesday, October 30 at 18:00 EDT. Society President Liz Sikes will present an update on programs and finances, followed by an open discussion. All Geochemical Society members are encouraged to attend. The meeting will take place virtually via Zoom.
Elements: Behind and Beyond Luminescence Imaging
October 03, 2024
Luminescence-based optical or SEM images are increasingly used in Earth sciences research. Examples include formation and post-growth history of minerals from their internal textures, taking into account multiple interior regions of complex crystals. For such simple approaches it is actually unnecessary to understand the particular causes of emissions. During the last decade, however, spectroscopic research has led to substantial progress in our understanding of the emissions of minerals. The main objective of this issue is to convince readers that luminescence is not at all restricted to interesting pictures that show “something,” but analysis of the emissions may bear a wealth of information on what exactly is observed. Luminescence spectroscopy has become a versatile, quantitative group of techniques whose successful applications virtually cover all geoscientific sub-disciplines.
Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
Nominations for Early Career Board Member
October 02, 2024
Students, postdoctoral scholars, and other early career scientists form a crucial segment of the Geochemical Society's membership. To make sure that we consider the needs of this population, the society has two seats on its board specifically for early career researchers (ECR). The board is responsible for governing the organization and determining how our programs can best serve the international geochemistry community. Serving on the board is an opportunity to develop as a leader, meet colleagues from around the world, and make a real contribution to the society and larger community.
Early career scientists may self-nominate for this role by October 16, 2024.
GS Online Seminar Series
October 02, 2024
We are pleased to announce our (boreal) fall seminar series! These free, one-hour sessions are presented on scientific, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and career development topics. Join us for the live webinars or watch recordings later.
October 10: Open Data in Geochemistry: Making, Delivering and Harnessing FAIR Data with Global Data Providers
October 17: Metasediments from the lower crust: how and why are they there?
More events coming soon!
Elements: The Invisible Ocean: Hydrogen in the Deep Earth
August 07, 2024
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and its distribution, transfer, and speciation in the deep Earth remain a fascinating topic of ongoing research. We review the most notable discoveries constraining the H cycle in the deep Earth. This includes new methods for detecting hydrogen, insights into the size of deep reservoirs, and new constraints from inclusions in ultradeep diamonds. Advances in seismic and magneto- telluric imaging provide unique data on the storage and mobility of water in Earth´s interior. Models of the early Earth and of its habitability critically depend on the behavior of hydrogen in a magma ocean–atmosphere system. Later in Earth history, water may have been essential for establishing plate tectonics, a phenomenon making Earth a unique planet.
Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
Edoardo Ammannati and Goldschmidt Student Helpers to Receive GS Distinguished Service Award
June 25, 2024
Edoardo Ammannati and the Goldschmidt student helper teams are the recipients of the 2024 GS Distinguished Service Award, to be presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in August. The award recognizes the exceptional contributions made by the student helpers at the conference each year. From helping delegates register at the start of the meeting to making sure that every presentation and poster goes smoothly, the team has become an integral part of the conference. Since his first conference in Florence in 2013 as a team member to his role as team coordinator today, Edoardo has trained and organized hundreds of students over the years. He works from sunrise to sunset (and beyond) each day with the volunteers to ensure a pleasant and productive experience for delegates. Much of their work is done behind the scenes, so on this occasion the GS is very pleased to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Edoardo and the entire student helper teams over the years.
The Distinguished Service Award is presented on an irregular basis to recognize contributions that greatly exceed the normal expectations of voluntary service.
Elements: Cratons to Continents
June 05, 2024
Archean continental crust is present on every continent, but does not constitute a dominant part of any continent’s surficial exposures. Nevertheless, Archean cratons are the longest-lived coherent physical structures on Earth. Viewed holistically, they comprise a welded combination of continental crust and as subcontinental lithospheric mantle keel. They are survivors of what may, or may not, have been a more numerous and varied population of protocontinents. Many of these crustal blocks have origins in the Hadean and have survived for billions of years through many supercontinent cycles. Consequently, these craton-keel structures have influenced the physical and chemical evolution of the silicate Earth. This issue of Elements provides an overview of Archean cratons and the information they retain about the early development of Earth’s continental crust.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
Webinar: Open Data in Geochemistry
May 20, 2024
Join us for a free webinar on June 12, 2024 at 10:00 EDT: Open Data in Geochemistry: Making, Delivering and Harnessing FAIR Data with Global Data Providers. This webinar will provide an overview of what FAIR means for geochemical data, what data systems are available to support the management and access of FAIR data, what services they offer, and how researchers can contribute to their success, i.e. their utility, usability, and sustainability by helping them evolve with the needs of the research community.