Frontiers in Earth Science | Geochemistry section | New and Recent Articles

The Central High Atlas of Morocco has been the site of an extensive transitional to alkali mafic magmatism from Middle Jurassic (B1 event) to Lower Cretaceous (B2 event). This study presents petrographical, mineralogical, geochemical and Sm-Nd isotopic investigations of mafic dykes and basaltic flow from the “Plateau des lacs” syncline, Central High Atlas, in order to characterize the geochemical…

The application of biochar in soil has demonstrated benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving soil properties, enriching soil microbial communities, and effectively adsorbing pollutants to limit their mobility. This study focuses on the adsorption capacity of biochar for pollutants, specifically targeting Cr(VI) and atrazine. The research investigates the ability of biochar to immo…

Tectonically deformed coal (TDC) is widely distributed in major coalbed methane (CBM) producing areas in China, and its fissure-like pore structure is a key factor regulating methane adsorption-desorption behavior. To clarify the coupling mechanism of fissure width, tectonic deformation degree, and methane adsorption, three brittle TDC samples with different deformation intensities (Tunlan: weakl…

The Lower Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous successions from the Ranya and Warte areas in the northeastern Iraq were investigated to determine the provenance and tectonic setting. Fifty-seven shale samples from six Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous formations, i.e., Sarki, Sehkaniyan, Sargelu, Naokelekan, Barsarin, and Chia Gara, were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), an…

IntroductionAccurate prediction of atmospheric CO2 concentration is essential for evaluating local emission dynamics, supporting regional carbon management, and promoting carbon neutrality goals. However, CO2 variations are highly influenced by complex interactions between meteorological conditions and anthropogenic activities, leading to highly nonlinear and time-dependent behavior that challeng…

The Xiaotazigou gold deposit is located in the eastern section of the Chifeng–Chaoyang gold metallogenic belt on the northern margin of the North China Craton. In this study, rare earth and trace element compositions of ores and host rocks, together with sulfur isotope data, were applied to constrain the geochemical characteristics of ore-forming fluids and the sources of ore-forming materials. T…

The Tarim Large Igneous Province (TLIP), as a major igneous province in China, has long been a focus of geological research due to its complex rock assemblages and genetic mechanisms. This study investigates the Permian mafic dikes (diabase and sillite) in the Puchang area of the TLIP, combining zircon U-Pb geochronology, major-trace element geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic analyses to reveal …

The Huangyangshan graphite deposit in the East Junggar region of Xinjiang Province is the world’s first documented graphite deposit hosted within an alkaline granite intrusion. Classified as fluid-deposited graphite deposit, it exhibits features of both magmatic and hydrothermal deposits, thus holding special significance for theoretical research. In this study, we conducted LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb…

Enhanced weathering (EW) through the application of ground rock is a competitive carbon removal strategy. Adoption of this technology at a meaningful scale requires a systematic assessment of its long-term feasibility, especially with regard to soil quality from the application of rock amendments that contain varying levels of heavy metal (loid)s (HM) such as Cu, Ni, Cr, Co, and Pb. The potential…

IntroductionLithium (Li) isotopes are powerful tracers of silicate weathering processes. However, the geochemical behavior of lithium isotopes in granite leachates remains unclear.MethodsHere we report Li isotope compositions of leachates from a granite weathering profile in southeastern China. The parameter tau (τSi and τAl) and the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) were also used to characteri…

A machine learning approach was applied to geochemical analysis of nine obsidian blades discovered in the archaeological site of Tulūl al-Baqarat (4th millennium BCE, Iraq), aiming at unraveling the provenance of the natural material (volcanic glass, obsidian) employed for carving the studied tools. To accomplish this, we measured the geochemical composition of each archaeological tool to charact…

The closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean lead to the collisional amalgamation of the various blocks including South China, Indochina and North China blocks, which results in the formation of the Qinling and Ailaoshan orogenic belts. But the tectonic evolution of the two orogenic belts remains highly debated during the Triassic. The eastern Sichuan Basin, preserving the complete Triassic depositional…

Magmas erupting in arcs range in composition from MgO-rich basalt to MgO-poor rhyolite. This broad compositional range is due to the sequential crystallization and separation of minerals with different chemical compositions from the cooling magma (a process known as fractional crystallization), to mixing between magmas that have undergone different degrees of fractional crystallization, and to th…

BackgroundThe study of the formation and evolution of black soils holds significant implications for the sustainable utilization of black soil resources and human societal development. However, research exploring the regularity of black soil formation and evolution through surface substrate investigations remains limited.MethodThis paper, based on the novel concept of “surface substrate layer” pr…

Maceral composition in coal varies significantly under the influence of different sedimentary environments. This study applies coal petrology techniques to elucidate the controlling mechanisms of coal-forming environments on macerals, focusing on the L2 coal seam from the Juhugeng mine in the Muli coalfield. The results reveal that the lower section of the L2 coal seam is predominantly composed o…

IntroductionThe volumetric method is the primary approach for calculating geological CO2 storage potential, with its accuracy largely dependent on the pore volume of reservoir rocks and the effective storage coefficient. While the precision of reservoir rock pore volume can be enhanced through more sophisticated geological exploration techniques, the current selection of effective storage coeffic…

The Late Triassic Chang 7 Member lacustrine organic-rich shale in the Ordos Basin is the most significant source rock for the Mesozoic oil system in the basin. This study utilizes high-resolution source rock samples to systematically analyze the organic carbon isotopes and carbonate carbon-oxygen isotopes of the Chang 7 Member source rocks. The results indicate that the average δ13Ccarb values fo…

In recent years, significant breakthroughs have been made in the exploration and development of lacustrine shale oil, but the stable and guaranteed production of shale oil still faces huge challenges. Quantitative characterization of the occurrence state of shale oil and accurate evaluation of the movable oil content are the key scientific issues that need to be solved for the efficient explorati…

Calc-alkaline andesitic rocks are prominently exposed as a major product of subduction-related magmatism. The identification of Late Triassic andesites in Meiji Atoll, located in the southern South China Sea (SCS), provides new insights into the regional magmatic evolution and geodynamic setting of the southern SCS margin during the early Mesozoic era. Here, we present structured illumination mic…