Geological and Environmental Sustainability

Economic Geology & Geochemistry

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Economic Geology and Geochemistry combines the study of geology of ore deposits and geochemistry to describe and understand the processes of mineral resource formation as well as to quantify the environmental impact of mineral and energy resource exploitation. Economic geology is concerned with earth materials that can be used for economic and/or industrial purposes. These materials include precious and base metals, nonmetallic minerals, construction-grade stone, petroleum minerals, coal, and water. Geochemistry is the study of the distribution of chemicals in the Earth and atmosphere. Geochemistry is the scientific discipline that deals with the relative abundance, distribution, and migration of the Earth’s chemical elements and their isotopes.  It is broadly concerned with the application of chemistry to virtually all aspects of geology. Much geochemical research is devoted to the quantification of this extraction of mantle material and its contribution to crustal growth throughout geologic time in the many stages of seafloor formation and mountain building.