geochemistry

American  

[jee-oh-kem-uh-stree] / ˌdʒi oʊˈkɛm ə stri /

noun

1. the science dealing with the chemical changes in and the composition of the earth's crust.

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geochemistry British  

/ ˌdʒiːəʊˈkɛmɪstrɪ, ˌdʒiːəʊˈkɛmɪkəl /

noun

1. the geology and chemistry concerned with the chemical composition of, and chemical reactions taking place within, the earth's crust

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geochemistry Scientific  

/ jē′ō-kĕm′ĭ-strē /

1. The scientific study of the chemical composition of the Earth or other celestial body and of the reactions that control the distribution of chemical elements in its minerals, rocks, soil, waters, and atmosphere.

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Other Word Forms

• geochemical adjective
• geochemically adverb
• geochemist noun

Etymology

Origin of geochemistry

First recorded in 1900–05; geo- + chemistry

Explanation

Geochemistry is the study of the chemical processes going on in the earth's insides and outsides. Despite the name, it also sometimes involves studying the chemical processes taking place on other planets. Geochemistry gets its name from fusing geology with chemistry. Geology is the study of the earth's physical composition and how it changes over time, while chemistry deals with the composition of substances. Think of geochemistry as taking regular geology and zooming in really close to observe molecules and atoms. It's not just a question of "how did this rock get here?" but also "what chemicals is this rock made of?"

Example Sentences

With experts in sedimentology, paleontology, geochemistry, biogeochemistry and mathematical modeling, the group literally dug deep to geochemically analyze hundreds of samples scattered across different continents.

From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2023

The return of carefully selected samples, such as ones weathered by geothermal vents, as well as sedimentary and aggregated rocks, will allow scientists on Earth to extensively examine their geochemistry and microscopic composition.

From Scientific American • Oct. 3, 2023

Gattacceca's team presented their findings at a geochemistry conference in France on July 11, 2023.

From DOGO News • Sep. 1, 2023

The Pasadena-based institute, with a 3% admission rate last year, boasts 46 Nobel laureates and cutting-edge research in such fields as earthquake engineering, behavioral genetics, geochemistry, quantum information and aerospace.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2023

“Imagine a shell like a thick book, where the animal has added one page after another as it grows,” says lead author Nasser Al-Qattan, a geochemistry professor at Kuwait University.

From National Geographic • Aug. 23, 2023