Collisions at the birth of geochemistry

Naumov G. В., Vishnevskaya N. A.

Zapiski RMO (Proceedings of the Russian Mineralogical Society). 2018. V. 147. N 2. P. 1-24

https://doi.org/10.30695/zrmo/2018.1472.00

Full text is available on eLIBRARY.RU

Language: Russian

Abstract

The role of some scientists in the formation of geochemistry is analyzed in the period since its origination up to present days. The article discuses problems accompanying the development of separated branches of geochemical approaches to analysis of natural bodies. It is shown that V. I. Vernadsky was the first scientist who clearly defined the most complete contents of this science; he discovered a single geochemical measure to analyze both living material and nonliving substance — the distribution of elements, and demonstrated the importance of geochemistry for investigation of the Earth’s geo-spheres interaction as a whole. He was definitely ahead of his time, and such approach is acquiring presently the greater significance.

Key words: geochemistry, Vernadsky, Goldschmidt, distribution of elements, biogeochemical cycles, history, origin, formation.