Introduction to Geochemistry
Principles and Applications

This book is intended to serve as a text for an introductory course in geochemistry for undergraduate/ graduate students with at least an elementary-level background in earth sciences, chemistry, and mathematics. The text, containing 83 tables and 181 figures, covers a wide variety of topics ? ranging from atomic structure to chemical and isotopic equilibria to modern biogeochemical cycles ? which are divided into four interrelated parts: Crystal Chemistry; Chemical Reactions (and biochemical reactions involving bacteria); Isotope Geochemistry (radiogenic and stable isotopes); and The Earth Supersystem, which includes discussions pertinent to the evolution of the solid Earth, the atmosphere, and the hydrosphere.

In keeping with the modern trend in the field of geochemistry, the book emphasizes computational techniques by developing appropriate mathematical relations, solving a variety of problems to illustrate application of the mathematical relations, and leaving a set of questions at the end of each chapter to be solved by students. However, so as not to interrupt the flow of the text, involved chemical concepts and mathematical derivations are separated in the form of boxes. Supplementary materials are packaged into ten appendixes that include a standard-state (298.15 K, 1 bar) thermodynamic data table and a listing of answers to selected chapter-end questions.

Preface xiii

1 Introduction 1

Part I Crystal Chemistry 7

2 Atomic Structure 9

3 Chemical Bonding 23

Part II Chemical Reactions 49

4 Basic Thermodynamic Concepts 51

5 Thermodynamics of Solutions 79

6 Geothermometry and Geobarometry 107

7 Reactions Involving Aqueous Solutions 134

8 Oxidation–Reduction Reactions 167

9 Kinetics of Chemical Reactions 197

Part III Isotope Geochemistry 223

10 Radiogenic Isotopes 225

11 Stable Isotopes 253

Part IV The Earth Supersystem 281

12 The Core–Mantle–Crust System 283

13 The Crust–Hydrosphere–Atmosphere System 326

Appendix 1 Units of measurement and physical constants 372

Appendix 2 Electronic configurations of elements in ground state 374

Appendix 3 First ionization potential, electron affinity, electronegativity (Pauling scale), and coordination numbers of selected elements 377

Appendix 4 Thermodynamic symbols 379

Appendix 5 Standard state (298.15 K, 10⁵ Pa) thermodynamic data for selected elements, ionic species, and compounds 382

Appendix 6 Fugacities of H₂O and CO₂ in the range 0.5–10.0 kbar and 200–1000°C 396

Appendix 7 Equations for activity coefficients in multicomponent regular solid solutions 398

Appendix 8 Some commonly used computer codes for modeling of geochemical processes in aqueous solutions 400

Appendix 9 Solar system abundances of the elements in units of number of atoms per 10⁶ silicon atoms 402

Appendix 10 Answers to selected chapter–end questions 403

References 406

Index 431 

KULA C. MISRA is a Professor of Geology (Emeritus) at the University of Tennessee where he has taught geochemistry, economic geology, and environmental geology for more than 30 years. He received a M.Tech degree in Applied Geology from the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) and, after working for about ten years as a field geologist, a Ph.D. degree in Geology from the University of Western Ontario (Canada). His research papers have been published in several professional journals, and he is the author of the textbook Understanding Mineral Deposits published in the year 2000. He is a member of several professional organizations and has served as a consultant to corporations and government agencies on subjects related to mineral deposits and environmental geochemistry.