This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of
geochemistry. The book first lays out the ?geochemical
toolbox?: the basic principles and techniques of modern
geochemistry, beginning with a review of thermodynamics and
kinetics as they apply to the Earth and its environs. These basic
concepts are then applied to understanding processes in aqueous
systems and the behavior of trace elements in magmatic
systems. Subsequent chapters introduce radiogenic and stable
isotope geochemistry and illustrate their application to such
diverse topics as determining geologic time, ancient climates, and
the diets of prehistoric peoples. The focus then broadens to the
formation of the solar system, the Earth, and the elements
themselves. Then the composition of the Earth itself becomes the
topic, examining the composition of the core, the mantle, and the
crust and exploring how this structure originated. A final chapter
covers organic chemistry, including the origin of fossil fuels and
the carbon cycle?s role in controlling Earth?s climate,
both in the geologic past and the rapidly changing present.

Geochemistry is essential reading for all earth science
students, as well as for researchers and applied
scientists who require an introduction to the essential
theory of geochemistry, and a survey of its applications in the
earth and environmental sciences.

Additional resources can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/white/geochemistry