News

Elements: Biomagnetism

October 16, 2023

In this thematic issue of Elements, we look into biomagnetism and the production of magnetic minerals by microorganisms. In popular culture, this may have supernatural connotations; however, in reality, there are many microscopic biological organisms possessing magnetic behaviour owing to their formation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) such as magnetite (Fe3O4), maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), and greigite (Fe3S4). We look broadly at the relationship between biogenic MNP formation and biomagnetism: focusing on the mechanisms responsible for these minerals by bacteria; seeking to address whether MNP hold clues to the evolution of life on Earth, and potentially beyond; investigating the contribution of biomagnetism to the biogeochemical cycling of iron; considering the potential application of MNP for industrial remediation; and probing the presence of MNP in multicellular prokaryotes and eukaryotic organisms.

Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).

 

GS and EAG Announce Goldschmidt2026 in Montreal

September 06, 2023

The Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry will hold the 2026 Goldschmidt Conference from July 12-17, 2026 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The meeting venue will be the Palais des Congrès de Montréal in the center of the city. View all upcoming conferences

Image © Stéphan Poulin - Tourisme Montréal

Elements: Olivine

August 29, 2023

To study the Earth and other planetary bodies, one has to understand the mineral olivine; when and where it forms, how it crystallizes and deforms, and how it responds to changing environmental conditions in the Earth’s interior, on the surface, and in space. This issue takes a look at olivine research from the atomic scale to the Solar System and beyond. Olivine plays a critical role for plate tectonics, magma transport from mantle sources to the surface, how the Solar System differentiated and evolved, and also for the efforts addressing climate change through carbon capture and storage. This issue highlights olivine research that crosses many disciplines, from seismology and geodynamics, petrology and volcanology to low-temperature geochemistry and remote sensing. 

Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).

GS Adopts Bylaws Amendments

August 14, 2023

In July, the GS board of directors approved a number of amendments to the society's bylaws, which govern the rights and responsibilities of the members and officers of the organization. Last amended in 2017, some sections of bylaws had become outdated. The amendments include provisions that:

  • Update the responsibilities of officers, such as the president, vice president, and secretary to accurately reflect the duties of those positions;
  • Add the option for meetings of the board and the membership to be held virtually (online);
  • Add references to early career directors, who are elected to the board for two-year terms;
  • Remove specific tasks of various society committees (these were moved to a policy manual that can be more easily updated to reflect the current needs and responsibilities of the committees);
  • Update legal language in indemnification provisions and relating to Texas laws governing nonprofit corporations (the GS is incorporated in Texas).

Review the amended bylaws

Bernd (Berni) R.T. Simoneit (1937-2023)

August 03, 2023

It is with deep sadness that we report that Bernd R.T. Simoneit, an impressively productive and prolific organic and environmental biogeochemist and a Professor Emeritus of Oregon State University, died at his home in Corvallis on July 23, 2023.

Berni was born in Germany and immigrated to America as a young boy with his parents and his sister to settle in Rhode Island. He started his college education in New England, receiving his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Boston University (1965). He then took on a research position at the Space Sciences Laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley (1966-1973). A chance encounter with Geoff Eglinton, who was visiting the Laboratory, led to his earning his PhD in organic geochemistry from the University of Bristol (UK) in 1975. He subsequently held positions at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles (1976-1981), and the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences of Oregon State University (1981-2002). In addition to these permanent positions, he had visiting scientist positions at the California Institute of Technology (1965-2002), Tokyo Metropolitan University (1992), the Centre d'Investigacio I Desenvolupament, C.S.I.C., Barcelona, (1996-1997), Hokkaido University, Japan (2002), Florida International University (2003-2004), and the King Saud University, Riyadh (2008-2015). The overarching theme uniting Berni's studies at these multiple institutions was his intense curiosity about the nature of the chemical signatures that different lifeforms have left on our planet, a curiosity that led him to discover an impressively broad suite of molecular and isotopic biomarkers.

Category: In Memoriam

Nominations for Early Career Board Member

August 03, 2023

Students, postdoctoral scholars, and other early career scientists form a crucial segment of the Geochemical Society's membership. To make sure that we consider the needs of this population, the society has two seats on its board specifically for early career researchers (ECR). The board is responsible for governing the organization and determining how our programs can best serve the international geochemistry community. Serving on the board is an opportunity to develop as a leader, meet colleagues from around the world, and make a real contribution to the society and larger community.

Early career scientists may self-nominate for this role by September 1, 2023.

Definition of ECR: Early career researchers are defined as higher degree (beyond Bachelors level) students in good standing who 1) have completed at least 2 years of a PhD program (e.g., equivalent to having passed qualifying or mid-term exams where applicable) OR 2) postdoctoral researchers or faculty within 4 years of being awarded their PhD, OR 3) employees in a geochemistry-related industry within 4 years of last degree completion at the year of nomination.

Term of Service: ECR directors will serve for 2 years. This reflects the competing heavy demands on ECR time at this stage of their careers and also allows for broader participation of ECRs on the GS Board.

Duties: The duties of the ECR directors will be the same and with full Board voting and participation rights equivalent to other Non-Officer/Directors and they will be expected to attend all Board meetings, including at Goldschmidt Conferences either in-person (preferred) or virtually. Financial assistance for travel to in-person meetings will be available. It is also expected that the ECR directors will serve on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and other GS committees as needed.

Selection Process: Candidates may self-nominate or be nominated by others. (In the case of nominations by others, the society will contact the candidate to confirm that they are willing to stand for election.) The terms of the two ECR directors will be staggered, with one ECR director elected last year and one this year. As part of the process, each potential nominee will be asked to write a 500-word statement indicating why they wish to serve on the Board and what they would like to accomplish, along with a brief description of their experience, which may include a website link. At least two candidates to stand for election will be selected by the Nomination Committee and the Board. These candidates will be presented to the entire society membership during the Board election in November.

Submit a nomination: To self-nominate, send your statement of interest to: nominations@geochemsoc.org. To nominate someone else, send their name and email address and a member of the committee will follow up with the nominee (confirmation from the candidate must be received by the same deadline, so if nominating someone else, please submit it in advance of September 1). Nominations for the position are due by September 1, 2023.

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe Receives 2023 John Hayes Award

July 13, 2023

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, who is on leave from the University of California, Merced to serve as Director of the DOE Office of Science, received the 2023 John Hayes Award from the GS. The award is given to a mid-career scientist for outstanding accomplishments that draw together multiple fields of investigation to advance biogeochemical science. It was created in 2017 by the Organic Geochemistry Division and a group of friends, colleagues, and students of John Hayes. Prof. Berhe is recognized for contributions to our understanding of the dynamics of carbon transport and stabilization in soils, from molecular to watershed scales. Her research has transformed our conceptual model of terrestrial carbon cycling by incorporating a landscape perspective, specifically, geomorphology and hillslope processes, into biogeochemical studies.

Category: Society News
Tags: OGD, Awards

Ken Rubin to Receive Distinguished Service Award

June 23, 2023

Ken Rubin of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will receive the 2023 GS Distinguished Service Award at the Goldschmidt Conference in July. He is recognized for extraordinary service to the Geochemical Society and the broader geochemical community through his leadership as chair of the Local Organizing committee and Science Committee member for the Goldschmidt Conferences in 2020 and 2022. The Distinguished Service Award is presented on an irregular basis to recognize contributions that greatly exceed the normal expectations of voluntary service.

Category: Society News
Tag: Awards

Elements: Into the Rift: The Geology of Human Origins in Eastern Africa

June 22, 2023

Spanning from the horn of Africa down to Lake Malawi, the East Africa Rift preserves a plethora of paleoanthropological sites (e.g., Olduvai Gorge, Turkana, Awash) that document our evolutionary journey spanning the last seven million years of Earth’s history. A common feature of these sites is that they are associated with volcanic­–sedimentary basins intimately related to the development of the rift. Radiometric and paleomagnetic geochronology helps establish age relations between different hominin species. Geochemical studies of primary tuffs help correlate between sites and identify specific volcanic sources. Authigenic minerals formed in rift lakes can help reconstruct past climates and environments. Recent excavations at Laetoli show that this valuable site is slowly disappearing owing to diagenetic processes, and preservation of the footprints is essential and urgently needed. 

Current Geochemical Society members can access this issue now via the Elements website using your email address (UserID) and member number (Password).

Executive Editor of GCA

June 06, 2023

The Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society are seeking qualified candidates to serve as Executive Editor (EE) of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (GCA). The appointment is for an initial 3-year term commencing January 1, 2025, with the possibility of an additional 3-year term by negotiation with the societies and the publisher. GCA publishes research papers that address fundamental aspects of geochemistry and cosmochemistry as well as articles relating to key activities of the sponsoring societies.

Consideration of applicants will begin October 1 and continue until the position is filled. Learn more

Category: Society News
Tag: GCA
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