Treatise on Geochemistry

by K.K. Turekian (Editor), H.D. Holland (Editor)

Overview

The Treatise on Geochemistry is the first work providing a comprehensive, integrated summarry of the present state of geochemistry. It deals with all the major subjects in the field, ranging from the chemistry of the solar system to environmental geochemistry. The Treatise on Geochemistry has drawn on the expertise of outstanding scientists throughout the world, creating the reference work in geochemistry for the next decade.Each volume consists of fifteen to twenty-five chapters written by recognized authorities in their fields, and chosen by the Volume Editors in consultation with the Executive Editors. Particular emphasis has been placed on integrating the subject matter of the individual chapters and volumes.Elsevier also offers the Treatise on Geochemistry in electronic format via the online platform ScienceDirect®, the most comprehensive database of academic research on the Internet today, enhanced by a suite of sophisticated linking, searching and retrieval tools.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780080548074
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	12/04/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	7800
File size:	179 MB
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About the Author

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Radioactive, radiogenic and isotope measurements in Earth materials provide useful approaches to the study of terrestrial and cosmic processes. Our laboratory has used these tools to address problems as diverse as the circulation of Long Island Sound and the cosmic dust flux to our planet. A few of the projects are listed:

1. Air samples and atmospheric precipitation are analyzed for ²²²Rn(radon) daughters such as ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁴Pb as well as cosmogenically produced ⁷Be and ³⁵S to determine: (a) the residence times of aerosols in different layers of the troposphere via ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Be, (b) the sources of ozone found in the troposphere based on correlations with ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb, and (c) the oxidation and precipitation kinetics (including dry deposition) of SO2 based on cosmogenic ³⁵S measurements.

2. The radioactive decay of ¹⁸⁷Re (half-life ca. 4.6x10¹⁰ years) produces ¹⁸⁷Os. The ratio of ¹⁸⁷Os to non-radiogenic Os (nominally represented by 186Os) in rocks undergoing weathering is determined by the Re/Os of the rock and its age. The variation in the relative sources of weathered material (high ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os from continental crust, low ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os from mantle-derived rocks) is sensed by contemporary sea water osmium and ultimately recorded in accumulating marine sediments. The tectonic history of the past 100 million years is inferred from Os isotope measurements in deep-sea deposits.

3. The measurement of ²²²Rn(3.4 d), ²²⁶Ra(1620 y), ²²⁸Ra(5.7 y) and ²²⁴Ra(3.6 d) in Long Island Sound water profiles provides information on the mean residence time of water in the Sound as well as the flux of nutrient-rich water from the New York City area. The radium isotop

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My research is focused on two problems: the long-term evolution of the atmosphere and the long-term evolution of seawater. Emphasis in the first problem area is on the Great Oxidation Event between ca. 2.3 and 2.0 Ga, in particular the change from an atmosphere that probably contained a significant amount of methane to one that contained a significant amount of oxygen. During the next few years we hope to define the cause of this change and to refine its timing.

The past several years have shown that the composition of seawater changed very significantly during the course of the Phanerozoic. However, the actual course of the chemistry of seawater is still poorly defined. The causes are clearly related to tectonism, marine biology, and the flooding of the continents, but a coherent theory relating these processes to the history of seawater remains to be constructed. We hope to contribute materially to this enterprise.

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