New Geochemical Perspectives issue: Geobiology
For the 10th anniversary of our publication Geochemical Perspectives, we are excited to publish a special issue presenting a 1944 update of Geobiologie by Lourens Baas Becking. This update was written in pencil over a seven week period while Baas Becking was incarcerated for attempting to escape Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
Lourens Baas Becking was a pioneering microbial ecologist. He coined the term “Geobiology” and was profoundly interested in organisms occupying extremes of temperature and salinity. He is perhaps best remembered for his proposition that “Everything is everywhere, but the environment selects”.
This volume, with its extensive detailed footnotes, brings us into the mind of one of the most important microbial ecologists of the 20th century. This issue also provides the most complete biography of Baas Becking and his fascinating life. We hope that this rather unusual Geochemical Perspectives will serve as both an important historical document as well as an insight into the state of microbial ecology and geobiology in the 1940s.
Considering the length of this issue, it is only published online, so no printed version will be made available. However, with this online format, all footnotes can easily be accessed from the text. Read more about this issue
Goldschmidt2022: early registration ends on 31 May
Registration fees for the hybrid conference Goldschmidt2022 are reduced by $100 until 31 May.
EAG members also benefit from another $75 discount, so make sure you join or renew. More info about registration
Meet us at the EAG Booth at EGU22!
If you are attending the EGU General Assembly 2022 in Vienna, Austria, 23-27 May, visit us at the EAG booth (#22) in Hall X5, from 10 am Monday-Friday, to find out more about EAG activities, browse our publications, and pick up some goodies!
On the EAG Blog: People’s profiles – Qasid Ahmad
Qasid Ahmad was born in Pakistan and is an Ahmadi-Muslim (i.e. member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community). Due to their religion, Ahmad’s family fled from Pakistan and sought asylum in Germany, where they eventually settled near Karlsruhe.
Qasid Ahmad grew up in Germany and after graduating from high school, he studied Applied Geosciences at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Read more
On the EAG Blog: What is – the Atmosphere?
Q1: What is the atmosphere?
A: The atmosphere is a layer of gas covering a planet and other material bodies. Gravity prevents gases that make up the atmosphere from escaping to space (aka. the cosmos). Note: Gravity is a natural force of attraction between all things with mass or energy.
Q2: What is the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere today (also known as air)? Read more
On the EAG Blog: Six questions to Andy Ridgwell
Dr. Andy Ridgwell (University of California, Riverside) writes computer models – numerical representations of the primary interactions of climate with atmospheric CO2, including the cycling of carbon, oxygen, and nutrients between land, ocean, and marine sediments. He applies these models to diverse questions, ranging from geological episodes of extreme glaciation and warming, and global-scale ocean anoxia… Read more
Upcoming EAG Co-Sponsored Short Courses and Conferences
The EAG is pleased to be co-sponsoring three upcoming events through the EAG Short Course and Conference Sponsorship Program:
12th International Symposium Geochemistry of the Earth’s Surface Zurich, Switzerland; 24-29 July
8th International Clumped Isotope Workshop Jerusalem, Israel; 19-22 September
Forming and Exploring Habitable Worlds Edinburgh, UK, and online; 7-13 November
Global Geochemistry Community Survey: Help us reach our goal
We are now over 85% of the way towards our response rate goal for the Global Geochemistry Community Survey and we are asking for your help to get us to the finish line.
If you haven’t already completed this survey, we would greatly appreciate 15 minutes of your time. If you have completed the survey, thank you! Please consider forwarding the survey to your Geochemistry colleagues (whether they are members or not). Complete the survey
EAG Deadlines
1 June: EAG Early Career Ambassador Program application deadline
1 October: EAG Student Sponsorship application deadline
Goldschmidt2022 Deadlines
31 May: Early registration deadline
31 May: Pre-Conference Workshop booking deadline
31 May: Mentor Program signup deadline
Posted on | Position | Employer | Contact | Application deadline |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 May | Type: PostDoctoral Position Postdoctoral positions (f/m/d) in planetary geochemistry and cosmochemistry |
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany | Prof. Thorsten Kleine | 12 June 2022 |
16 May | Type: PhD Position 3-year PhD position (m,f,d) in Archean Geology |
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany | Dr. Silvia Volante | 10 June 2022 |
16 May | Type: PhD Position Chemical weathering and the onset of biomineralization on the Planet during the Late Ediacaran. |
Faculty of Geosciences and MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany | Dr. Gustavo Macedo de Paula-Santos | 13 June 2022 |
12 May | Type: Academic Postdoctoral Scientist (2x) |
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States | Collin Ward | Position open until filled |

Sulfur solubility in a deep magma ocean and implications for the deep sulfur cycle
E.S. Steenstra, O.T. Lord, S. Vitale, E.S. Bullock, S. Klemme, M. Walter

Melting experiments on Fe-C-O to 200 GPa; liquidus phase constraints on core composition
F. Sakai, K. Hirose, K. Umemoto
Stability of Fe2S and Fe12S7 to 125 GPa; implications for S-rich planetary cores
C.C. Zurkowski, B. Lavina, S. Chariton, V. Prakapenka, A.J. Campbell

Martian core composition from experimental high-pressure metal-silicate phase equilibria
H. Gendre, J. Badro, N. Wehr, S. Borensztajn
Latest Geochemical Perspectives : ‘Geobiology’
For the 10th anniversary of our publication Geochemical Perspectives, we are excited to publish a special issue presenting a 1944 update of Geobiologie by Lourens Baas Becking. This update was written in pencil over a seven week period while Baas Becking was incarcerated for attempting to escape Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
Lourens Baas Becking was a pioneering microbial ecologist. He coined the term “Geobiology” and was profoundly interested in organisms occupying extremes of temperature and salinity. He is perhaps best remembered for his proposition that “Everything is everywhere, but the environment selects”.
This volume, with its extensive detailed footnotes, brings us into the mind of one of the most important microbial ecologists of the 20th century. This issue also provides the most complete biography of Baas Becking and his fascinating life… READ MORE
Geochemical Perspectives is an Open Access EAG publication. Print copies of previous issues can be purchased. Find out more
Latest Elements: ‘Heavy Stable Isotopes: From Crystals to Planets’
Stable isotopes are formidable tracers of physicochemical processes at all scales. Steady advances in mass spectrometry have allowed isotopic inquiries to move from the so-called “traditional” systems (i.e., H, C, N, O, and S) to heavier “nontraditional” systems (e.g., Fe, Mo, Ti, Zr, U) whose diverse geochemical characteristics are providing novel and complementary insights. Moving from micron-size systems (single crystals) to planetary-size bodies, the articles in this issue explore the enormous range of temporal and physical scales over which heavy stable isotopes have provided paradigm-shifting insights into the evolution of our planet and solar system. Also highlighted are new frontiers where novel stable isotope systematics appear particularly promising for unraveling long-standing questions. READ MORE
EAG members have online access to current and past issues of Elements and receive new issues in print.