chemistry

Geochemical Society

Geochemical Society is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Geochemical Society rather than just read about it. In short: The Geochemical Society is a nonprofit scientific organization founded to encourage the application of chemistry to solve problems involving geology and cosmology. The society promotes understanding of geochemistry through the annual Goldschmidt Conference, publication of a peer-reviewed journal and electronic newsletter, awards programs recognizing significant accomplishments in the field, and student development p…

Key takeaways

Geochemical Society belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Geochemical Society to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Geochemical Society from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Geochemical Society is a nonprofit scientific organization founded to encourage the application of chemistry to solve problems involving geology and cosmology. The society promotes understanding of geochemistry through the annual Goldschmidt Conference, publication of a peer-reviewed journal and electronic newsletter, awards programs recognizing significant accomplishments in the field, and student development programs. The society's offices are located on the campus of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC.

Organization and meetings The Geochemical Society was founded in 1955 at a meeting of the Geological Society of America. Its first president was Earl Ingerson and dues started at two dollars per year. In 1990 it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1990. In 1988, the Geochemical society created the Goldschmidt Conferences in honor of the geochemist Victor Goldschmidt (1888–1947), "considered to be the founder of modern geochemistry and crystal chemistry". It was soon joined by the European Association of Geochemistry, and at the 2014 meeting the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the governance and trademark protection of the meeting. The conference is one of the world's largest devoted to geochemistry. The society's board of directors holds its annual meeting during the conference.

Membership The Geochemical Society has nearly 4,000 members from more than 70 countries. Most members are students, researchers and faculty of geochemistry related fields, although anyone with an interest in geochemistry may join. Membership is calendar year and dues are US$35 for a Professional, US$15 for Student, and $20 for Seniors. Membership includes a subscription to Elements Magazine and also offers discounts on Geochemical Society publications, Mineralogical Society of America publications and conference registration discounts at the Goldschmidt Conference, Fall AGU, and the annual GSA conference.

Publications The Geochemical Society publishes, co-publishes, or sponsors the following:

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (GCA) – peer-reviewed journal with 24 issues per year, co-sponsored with the Meteoritical Society. Elements: An International Magazine of Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Petrology – 6 issues per year Geochemical News – electronic newsletter published weekly Special Publications Series – published at various times Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (RiMG) – peer-reviewed multi-author volumes on topics approved by the governing councils of the Geochemical Society and the Mineralogical Society of America. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G-cubed) – online journal with peer-reviewed original research papers. 12 issues per year published in collaboration with the American Geophysical Union.

Awards The Geochemical Society presents the following annual awards:

V. M. Goldschmidt Award – the society's highest honor, it is awarded for major achievements in geochemistry or cosmochemistry. F.W. Clarke Medal – named after Frank Wigglesworth Clarke (1847–1931), a chemist who determined the composition of the Earth's crust, it goes to an early-career scientist for an outstanding contribution to geochemistry or cosmochemistry. C.C. Patterson Medal – named after Clair Cameron Patterson (1922–1995), who developed uranium–lead dating, it recognizes an innovative breakthrough in environmental geochemistry, particularly one of value to society. Alfred Treibs Medal – Named after Alfred E. Treibs (1899–1983), whose papers on porphyrins were the beginning of the field of organic chemistry, it is awarded by the Organic Geochemistry Division (OGD) for major achievements in organic geochemistry. The OGD also presents an annual Best Paper Award for a publication in the previous year. Geochemical Fellows – Starting in 1996, the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) bestow this honor on outstanding scientists who have made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry. Holders of the Goldschmidt and Treibs medals, as well as the Urey Medal of the EAG, are automatically inducted. The Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the Society or the geochemical community, is not awarded every year. The Geochemical Society sponsors a special lecture at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. Called the F. Earl Ingerson Lecture Series, it honors the first president of the Geochemical Society. At the Goldschmidt Conference, the Paul W. Gast Lecture is awarded to a mid-career scientist (under 45 years old) in honor of the first Goldschmidt medalist.

References

External links Geochemical Society homepage

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Geochemical Society

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Geochemical Society claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Geochemical Society before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Geochemical Society ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Geochemical Society

In research: Geochemical Society appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Geochemical Society in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Geochemical Society is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geochemical Society, Geochemistry organizations, Geology societies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Geochemical Society outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Geochemical Society in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Geochemical Society means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Geochemical Society out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Geochemical Society in simple terms?

Why does Geochemical Society matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Geochemical Society?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Geochemical Society.