Elements: Extraterrestrial Organic Matter
February 15, 2024
Extraterrestrial organic matter is found in various extraterrestrial environments and in various forms. It forms in a variety of locations through different mechanisms in space. As such, its nature, distribution, formation mechanisms and locations are of particular interest. Some organic molecules are even considered as key players for the emergence of life on Earth and possibly beyond. Therefore, their detection and characterization can contribute to the understanding of the early solar system evolution as well as the origin of life. Despite decades of work and research, there are still many questions and unknowns on this topic. The aim of this issue of Elements is to offer an overview of the concept of extraterrestrial organic matter as well as the latest scientific findings.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
New Members Join GS Board
January 24, 2024
(New board members, from left: Dominique Weis, Natasha Barrett, Sung Hi Choi, Tony Kemp, and Marian Selorm Sapah.)
The membership of the GS elected five new members to the Board of Directors in December. Dominique Weis will serve as vice president for two years and then as president beginning in 2026. Natasha Barrett was elected as an early career director for a two-year term. Sung Hi Choi, Tony Kemp, and Marian Selorm Sapah joined the board as directors from Region 3 for three-year terms. More information about the board and its role in governing the society can be found on this page.
Elements: Geometallurgy
January 09, 2024
Geometallurgy is an interdisciplinary research field concerned with the planning, monitoring, and optimization of mineral resource extraction and processing. Geometallurgy requires a quantitative understanding of primary resource characteristics such as mineralogical composition and texture, the distribution and variability of these characteristics across the target ore body, and how these interact with mining and beneficiation processes. This requires accurate analytical data for resource characterization, a detailed understanding of ore body geology, process technology, economics, and the often-complex interactions between them. In this issue of Elements, we explore the fundamental concepts relevant to the field. We also review how current geometallurgical research is opening up opportunities for geoscientists to generate better economic and environmental outcomes for the global raw materials industry as part of a sustainable economy.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
Elements: Large Igneous Provinces: Versatile Drivers of Global Change
December 13, 2023
Earth’s history is punctuated by volcanic episodes at a scale never witnessed by humans, known as large igneous provinces (LIPs). These extraordinary volcanic and tectonic events are associated with profound changes to planet Earth, including its climate and habitability. One of the major factors controlling the impacts of LIPs is the cocktail of gases emitted to the atmosphere and oceans. In this issue of Elements, we explore the versatile impacts of LIPs, from their connections to mass extinctions in aquatic and terrestrial environments to climate warming and global icehouse events. This issue also highlights our current understanding of subterranean architectures of LIPs, processes and consequences of interaction between LIP magma and surrounding crustal rocks, and advances in the timing of intrusive events.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
Vote in the GS Board Election
December 05, 2023
All current GS members are entitled to vote in the annual Board of Directors election. The board governs the society throughout the year and represents the interests of the membership. Please take a moment to review the slate of candidates and vote. The election is open until 22 December 2023. If you have not received your ballot by email, please let us know at gsoffice@geochemsoc.org.
Annual GS Members Meeting
November 01, 2023
The GS held its annual meeting of the membership on Thursday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m. EST. The meeting took place online. GS President Sumit Chakraborty presented an update on society programs followed by time for discussion.
Elements: Biomagnetism
October 16, 2023
In this thematic issue of Elements, we look into biomagnetism and the production of magnetic minerals by microorganisms. In popular culture, this may have supernatural connotations; however, in reality, there are many microscopic biological organisms possessing magnetic behaviour owing to their formation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) such as magnetite (Fe3O4), maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), and greigite (Fe3S4). We look broadly at the relationship between biogenic MNP formation and biomagnetism: focusing on the mechanisms responsible for these minerals by bacteria; seeking to address whether MNP hold clues to the evolution of life on Earth, and potentially beyond; investigating the contribution of biomagnetism to the biogeochemical cycling of iron; considering the potential application of MNP for industrial remediation; and probing the presence of MNP in multicellular prokaryotes and eukaryotic organisms.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
GS and EAG Announce Goldschmidt2026 in Montreal
September 06, 2023
The Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry will hold the 2026 Goldschmidt Conference from July 12-17, 2026 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The meeting venue will be the Palais des Congrès de Montréal in the center of the city. View all upcoming conferences
Image © Stéphan Poulin - Tourisme Montréal
Elements: Olivine
August 29, 2023
To study the Earth and other planetary bodies, one has to understand the mineral olivine; when and where it forms, how it crystallizes and deforms, and how it responds to changing environmental conditions in the Earth’s interior, on the surface, and in space. This issue takes a look at olivine research from the atomic scale to the Solar System and beyond. Olivine plays a critical role for plate tectonics, magma transport from mantle sources to the surface, how the Solar System differentiated and evolved, and also for the efforts addressing climate change through carbon capture and storage. This issue highlights olivine research that crosses many disciplines, from seismology and geodynamics, petrology and volcanology to low-temperature geochemistry and remote sensing.
Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).
GS Adopts Bylaws Amendments
August 14, 2023
In July, the GS board of directors approved a number of amendments to the society's bylaws, which govern the rights and responsibilities of the members and officers of the organization. Last amended in 2017, some sections of bylaws had become outdated. The amendments include provisions that:
- Update the responsibilities of officers, such as the president, vice president, and secretary to accurately reflect the duties of those positions;
- Add the option for meetings of the board and the membership to be held virtually (online);
- Add references to early career directors, who are elected to the board for two-year terms;
- Remove specific tasks of various society committees (these were moved to a policy manual that can be more easily updated to reflect the current needs and responsibilities of the committees);
- Update legal language in indemnification provisions and relating to Texas laws governing nonprofit corporations (the GS is incorporated in Texas).