Elements, geochemical classification

R. W. FairbriiXjE, Encyclopedia of Geochemistry and Environmental Sciences, Van Nostrand, New York, 1972.. See sections on Geochemical Classification of the Elements Sulfates Sulfate Reduction-Microbial Sulfides Sulfosalts Sulfur Sulfur Cycle Sulfur Isotope Fractionation in Biological Processes, etc., pp. 1123 - 58. 

Note It is sometimes convenient to describe the element distribution between sulfides and oxides as chalcophiles (occurring in the Earth s crust as sulfides) and lithophiles (predominating as oxides and halides in the Earth s crust) (see Fig. 1.5). This geochemical classification includes also the siderophiles (remaining as metals or alloys, especially in the Earth s core) and the atmophiles (which occurs largely in volatile form in the atmosphere and dissolved in the oceans). 

Geochemical subdivision of the Periodic Table. The Goldschmidt s geochemical classification of the elements in the Periodic Table is presented in Fig. 4.10... 

The geochemical classification using major oxides shows that the samples used in this study plot in the litharenite field, and, implies that they are mineralogically submature. Major-element concentrations point to significant weathering effect in the source area of the sample set. Provenance analyses, based on major-and trace-element compositions suggest... 

Goldschmidt (32) also introduced the concept of a geochemical classification of elements, in which the elements are classified on the basis of their affinities and tendencies to occur in minerals of a single group. The chalcophile elements are those which commonly form sulfides. In addition to sulfur, they include Zn, Cd, Hg, Cu, Pb, As, Sb, Se, and others. When present in coals, these elements would be expected to occur, at least in part, in sulfide minerals. Sulfides other than pyrite and marcasite have been noted in coals, but, except in areas of local concentration, they occur in trace or minor amounts. 

Unlike silicon and germanium, tin and lead belong to the family of chalcophile elements (according to the Goldshmidt geochemical classification), which have a high affinity to sulfur. In this connection the stability of the stannathiane Sn—S bond (in the Sn—S—Sn... 

According to the geochemical classification of elements, the two major categories are ... 

Table 8.10. Geochemical classification" of the elements, according to distribution between iron, sulfides, silicates, atmosphere, and organisms... 

Chemical Composition of Chondritic Meteorites Table 2 Cosmochetnical and geochemical classification of the elements. 

FIGURE 1-9 Geochemical Classification of the Elements. (Adapted with permission from P. A. Cox, The Elements, Their Origin, Abundance, and Distribution, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1990, p. 13.)... 

A rather different approach to understanding the condensation of the solar nebula came from the work of the geochemist V.M. Goldschmidt carried out in the 1920s. Goldschmidt proposed, what has now become, a widely used geochemical classification of the elements. This work was in part based upon the study of meteorites, and so his classification is very relevant to the understanding of planetary processes. 

A geochemical classification of trace elements according to their position in the periodic table... 

A geochemical classification of the elements based upon their electronegativities... 

TABLE 2.1 A cosmochemical and geochemical classification of the elements based upon their Lithophile/siderophile/chalcophile affinities and their refractory or volatile character (after Palme and O Neill, 2003). ... 

V. M. Goldschmid s geochemical classification of the elements (1923), which has formed the basis of all subsequent developments in the field, proposed four main groups of elements chalcophile, siderophilc, lithophile and atraophile. Of these the chalcophiles (Greek chalcos, copper (t ii og", philos,... 

Geochemical classification of mineral elements and interaction with reagents ... 

Table A.4. Geochemical classification of the elements (after Goldschmidt )...

A complete geochemical classification of the elements is given in Figure 4.2. 

Figure4.2 A complete geochemical classification of elements. Notes Lan- is the element lanthanum and lanthanides of the naturally radioactive elements only Th and U are...

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