Organic Geochemistry Division

What is organic geochemistry?

Organic geochemists deal in the molecular remnants of life. Scientists in this research field come from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, including but not limited to chemistry, geology, and biology. They may study sediments, soils, rocks, oil, or even modern microbial matter including that which is cultured. The highly interdisciplinary nature of organic geochemistry stems from its focus on the distribution and fates of natural organic matter, often for the purposes of:

paleoenvironmental reconstruction
understanding the origins of life and complex life
studying life in extreme environments and for astrobiological applications
characterizing how the Earth system, including the biosphere and geosphere, functions
environmental monitoring and pollution
petroleum exploration and resource characterization

Common analytical techniques applied in organic geochemical labs include gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and pyrolysis and many other combinations of analytical techniques. Increasingly, the field is intersecting with research in genomics, lipidomics, and proteomics and welcomes all to join in its pursuits.

What is the Organic Geochemistry Division?

The Organic Geochemistry Division (OGD), established in 1959 by Bart Nagy, aims to foster the pursuit of research involving the origin, nature, and significance of organic substances from Earth and elsewhere. The OGD consists of a diverse, worldwide community of organic geochemists, scientists from related, multidisciplinary research fields, as well as science enthusiasts from all career stages and is led by the OGD Executive Committee. The Executive Committee facilitates the creation of awards committees composed of OGD members for the Alfred Treibs Medal, the John M. Hayes Award, and the Best Student Paper Award. The OGD Executive Committee additionally hosts member-accessible curated resources, including notices of upcoming conferences, academic and industry job postings, as well as a technical forum where community members may connect on questions related to research, analytical support, and more.

If you have any ideas or suggestions how the OGD Executive Committee can help and support you and the wider committee, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the committee.

Join the OGD

All members of the Geochemical Society with an interest in any of the diverse aspects of organic geochemistry may join the OGD without additional charge. If you are already a GS member and want to join the OGD, log into the member website and select "Member Profile" from the menu on the right. In your profile, select Edit and scroll down to the bottom of the page and select "Yes" under OGD Member. Then click the green Save button at the top of your profile. You can also send your request to the business office at gsoffice@geochemsoc.org.

Featured Image

Blue serpentinite mud recovered from Mariana forearc mud volcanoes during expedition SO292/2. Biomarker evidence reveals hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and sulfate-dependent methane oxidation, highlighting a serpentinite-hosted biosphere at the edge of habitability. Read more at Kumawat et al., 2025 Communications Earth and Environment.