Definition

1. Noun:
   • The scientific study of the chemical composition of the earth and its rocks and minerals: Geochemistry is the branch of geology and chemistry that deals with the chemical composition of the Earth and its constituent parts, and the chemical changes that occur within it.
   • The chemistry of the earth's crust: This specifically refers to the application of chemical principles and techniques to understand the composition, processes, and history of the Earth's crust.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The geochemistry of the volcanic rocks revealed their deep mantle origin.
  • She specialized in environmental geochemistry, studying how pollutants move through soil and water.
  • Advances in analytical geochemistry have allowed scientists to date ancient rocks more precisely.

Advanced Usage

• "Isotope geochemistry": A sub-discipline that studies the relative and absolute concentrations of elements and their isotopes in Earth materials.
  • Isotope geochemistry is crucial for understanding past climate conditions.
• "Organic geochemistry": The study of the role of processes and compounds that are derived from living or once-living organisms in geological environments.
  • Organic geochemistry helps in the exploration for petroleum and natural gas.

Variants and Related Words

• Geochemical (adj): Relating to geochemistry.
  • The geochemical analysis confirmed the presence of rare earth elements.
• Geochemist (n): A scientist who specializes in geochemistry.
  • The geochemist published a paper on the formation of ore deposits.

Synonyms

• Earth chemistry: (A descriptive synonym, though less precise and less commonly used in technical contexts.)
• Chemical geology: (An older, largely synonymous term for the field.)

Related Phrases and Compounds

(Note: As per the instruction, these are listed as related compounds, not as the target word itself.) - Environmental geochemistry: The study of chemical interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. - Planetary geochemistry: The application of geochemical principles to other planets and celestial bodies.

Noun

1. the chemistry of the earth's crust