Goldschmidt 2023 Conference

The Solar System is the only known inhabited planetary system. Even so, humanity has already begun identifying candidate habitable worlds around other stars, including worlds akin to the Solar System’s terrestrial planets. Furthermore, potentially habitable corners of our Solar System remain to be fully explored. These findings have fostered the concept of planetary habitability, which defines the physicochemical conditions at the surface of a planet required for life to develop, including the presence of liquid water, energy, and organic chemistry. The overarching goal of this theme is to provide constraints on the initial conditions that lead to the emergence of habitable worlds. This includes topics such as the formation and evolution of planet forming disks and their primordial reservoirs, the study of primitive Solar System materials and asteroidal bodies, the timescales and mechanisms of terrestrial planet formation, the composition of (exo)planet atmospheres, the origin of inner Solar System volatiles as well as the early geological history of Mars and outer Solar System moons. We welcome contributions from all fields of planetary sciences, including laboratory study of extraterrestrial samples, remote sensing, robotic exploration, theoretical astrophysics, and astronomy.

The interior of the Earth comprises the vast majority of our planet, and holds the key to understanding its origins and evolution.  Convective motions within Earth profoundly influence surface environment, and in turn, the evolution of the interior is influenced by the return flow of material from the surface. Thus, the inaccessible deep Earth holds the key to understanding fundamental processes observed at Earth's surface, such as plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, and the magnetic field. However, as the deep Earth is largely inaccessible, hand samples arriving at the surface are difficult to interpret without context, and we must rely on indirect geophysical inferences to piece together sparse clues that reveal deep truths about our planet’s history. Through interdisciplinary study in observational and theoretical geophysics, geochemistry, experimental petrology and mineral physics, great progress can be made to elucidate the deep interior of Earth and how it interacts with the surface over space and time.  In this theme, we encourage session proposals on the chemical and physical processes occurring in the deep Earth at all scales of time and space, the evolving nature of material and energy exchange between the interior and surface, and insights into the deep Earth reservoirs including the upper mantle, transition zone, lower mantle and core, as well as the interactions between them, and their evolution over time.

The formation of the Earth’s mantle and crust through differentiation is archived in the lithosphere, which records interactions between the mantle, the crust, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere through time. This theme welcomes broad and interdisciplinary sessions that address the evolutionary history of the mantle–crust system, from the Hadean to the present-day and from atomic to planetary scales. We encourage for instance sessions that bring new insights into i) the secular evolution of the mantle–crust system and the Earth’s heat budget; ii) the geodynamics of mantle–crust differentiation and the onset of plate tectonics; iii) the interactions between internal (crust and mantle) and external (atmosphere and hydrosphere) reservoirs, and their impact on the biosphere; iv) the use of early Earth history as a proxy for planetary evolution and exoplanet exploration; v) the development of innovative tools to shed a new light on mantle–crust differentiation processes. We invite sessions that address these topics through investigations of natural samples, geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotopes, experiments and modeling.

The crust is the most complex, variable, and accessible geochemical reservoir of our planet and its evolution involves a variety of processes including magmatism, metamorphism and metasomatism. These processes are linked to the plate tectonic settings in which they occur and which changed through Earth’s history. Rocks and their minerals are important archives of crustal evolution, which are investigated with an increasing portfolio of analytical and numerical tools and concepts between the fields of geochemistry, petrology, tectonics and geochronology, founded on field observations of geologic relations. The theme chairs encourage submissions that will lead to broadly-based sessions related to understanding the evolution of oceanic and continental crust and the pathways and timescales of the processes involved. Topics may include metamorphism and its secular variations, subduction and recycling of crust at convergent margins, water-rock interaction, magmatic differentiation, crustal melting and the generation, transport and emplacement of resulting felsic magmas; assembly and dispersal of supercontinents, the interrelationships among deformation, metamorphism and magmatism. We welcome contributions that explore the various spatial and temporal scales of these processes based on field exposures, the natural rocks and minerals they provide, as well as laboratory and numerical experiments.

Magmatism and volcanism shape the long-term evolution of planets, including the formation of crust, the development of life, and present-day surface conditions. Volcanism, the ultimate expression of mass transfer from the interior, also presents a significant hazard to large and vulnerable populations. Studying magmatic processes is therefore of crucial interest to both fundamental understanding of the planetary evolution and the mitigation of volcanic risks. This theme will convene multidisciplinary sessions dealing with both fundamental and applied geochemical advances in studying magmas and volcanoes. Acquisition of new samples, new experiments, and new observations, coupled with developments in analytical and modeling techniques, are providing us with greater insight into modern and ancient magmatic and volcanic processes. We thus welcome sessions that explore magmas and volcanoes from numerous perspectives (laboratory, field, numeric) to arrive at greater integrated understanding of igneous processes and their consequences for both the planet and people.

The scientific challenges and the level of complexity that we can address in Earth and space science are rapidly advancing, thanks to novel analytical methods and applications of existing methods in geochemistry. These provide unprecedented accuracy in atomic scale measurements and modeling. Here, growing data and supercomputing resources provide a foundation to study large-scale trends in Earth science processes, as well as emerging data science methods provide a roadmap for exploring, quantifying, and making predictions in complex, multidimensional Earth and planetary systems. These methods include experimental, analytical, computational, mathematical, integrative, and hybrid approaches. We are now at a tipping point in which the complexity of natural phenomena can be harnessed and understood through emerging multi-scale, cross-disciplinary approaches.

This theme welcomes sessions demonstrating the development, application, and scientific results of novel methods across all sub-disciplines of Earth and planetary sciences. It aims at showcasing broadly all aspects of geochemistry (e.g., nano-, micro-, and meso-scale analyses of rocks, minerals, mineral surfaces and interfaces; geologic and mineralogic processes and properties; integrative studies linking geochemical observation to other fields of study) and the development of innovative experimental, analytical, and numerical methods, techniques, and data resources.

Sessions within this theme will focus on new frontiers in experimental and sample analysis instrumentation and/or numerical approaches to sample analysis, modeling or data processing; contributions highlighting innovative data analytics, data mining, data visualization methods, data resources, cyberinfrastructure, and data stewardship; and contributions showcasing the application of new or existing methodologies to geochemical problems and the results thereof.

Modern standards of living combined with effective climate change mitigation in the form of the energy transition mean that the next decades will require the utilization of significantly more mineral and metal resources than at any other point in human history. This, combined with increasing environmental, social, and governmental challenges and an ever-increasing drive for improved sustainability, means that the minerals and energy sectors face greater challenges than ever before. The sessions within this theme will therefore focus on all aspects of mineral resources, including: (1) the genesis of mineral and energy resources and the use of this knowledge for responsible resource exploration and extraction; (2) new and less invasive approaches for the exploration and extraction of raw materials; (3) the generation and storage of low-carbon energy resources such as geothermal and green hydrogen; (4) innovative approaches to geometallurgy, mineral processing, and the recycling of end-products containing metals and minerals to develop circular economies; (5) the effective management, mitigation and use of waste products such as CO₂, radioactive waste, plastics, process water and mine tailings; and (6) securing supplies of industrially important, critical, and strategic metals, industrial minerals, and gases that are subject to global or regional supply disruption. We welcome session proposals that cover all aspects of these topics, including field studies (terrestrial, marine, planetary), petrological and geochemical characterization, mineralogical and metallurgical investigations, as well as experimental, thermodynamic and modeling approaches to resource geochemistry and geology.

The environment shapes biological and ecological innovation. In turn, life profoundly modifies the physiochemical characteristics of its host environment. This theme invites sessions that explore the co-evolution between biological processes, environmental change and geological evolution during Earth history. Potential topics include but are not limited to the feedbacks resulting in Earth’s long-term habitability; the environmental context of key milestones in the history of life such as the origin life, the evolution of biogeochemistry, the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis, the rise of animals, and/or extinction events; and the causes and consequences of Earth’s oxygenation. Also encouraged are sessions relating to the influence of solid Earth processes and astrophysical phenomena on Earth’s surface environments and life. Given the interdisciplinary nature of these topics, we welcome sessions that span a wide range of disciplinary perspectives and methodological approaches, from numerical simulations of planetary climate and biogeochemical cycles to field-based studies of ancient environments and modern analogs among others.

Theme 9 (Earth surface processes from erosion to climate change) addresses interactions between erosional and geochemical fluxes, tectonics, biological evolution, and climate. The theme focuses on the (bio-)geochemical processes that shape and transform the Earth landscape, environment, and climate at all space and time scales; the theme also includes the development and application of tools used to decipher such processes. We welcome sessions covering global and regional geomorphological evolution, physical and chemical erosion, (bio-)geochemical exchanges and fluxes in the critical zone, and their link to past and current climate change. Contributions can be based on modern observations (at individual sites or from big data analysis), experiments, sedimentological records as well as development of new geochemical proxies, or modeling of geochemical processes. Sessions focusing on deep-time processes as well as on shorter-time scales, including on anthropogenic impacts, will all be considered.

Microbial activity has major impacts on the biogeochemistry of modern ecosystems and has also shaped the chemistry of the Earth’s surface and subsurface over geological times, often creating conditions that led to the proliferation and diversification of life. Traces of these geosphere-biosphere interactions can be found throughout the geological record and can be used to constrain the evolution of life, environments and climates. This theme invites sessions that will address such interactions, with a possible focus on ecosystem functionalities and adaptability, the production and identification of biosignatures and/or the impact of microbe-mineral interactions on biogeochemical cycles (both modern and ancient). Also invited are sessions that discuss new lineages and deep branches of the tree of life, or the evolution of microbial traits throughout earth's history. We welcome research based on new integrative approaches in geobiology and biogeochemistry, including field campaigns, incubation/cultivation and laboratory experiments, and studies relying on advanced tools such as molecular 'omics', isotope geochemistry, chemical/isotopic imaging or big data-based modeling, and those exploring new frontiers including the deep biosphere, cryosphere, extreme habitats, and extraterrestrial environments.

Biogeochemical cycles of elements in aquatic and terrestrial Earth surface environments are closely coupled with one another and driven by energy and material fluxes between the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and pedosphere. The aim of this theme is to discuss the state of knowledge and current frontiers in the functioning of elemental cycles in the environment, as controlled by hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes, with an emphasis on metals and nutrients. Understanding such cycling requires field- and laboratory-based experimental studies at various spatial scales ranging from global to molecular, as well as their integration with biogeochemical and transport modeling. We encourage submission of sessions with a clear emphasis on one of the following aspects within this theme: (1) processes (e.g., redox reactions, mineral (trans)formation, plant uptake, mobilization, complexation), (2) element cycles (characterization and modeling), (3) systems (e.g., soils, wetlands, aquifers, watersheds), (4) element or type of element (e.g., nutrient, metalloid, metal), (5) context (e.g., climate change, contamination, anthropogenic influence), or (6) approach (e.g., isotope analysis, modeling, spectroscopy, in situ and remote sensing).

The biogeochemistry of air, soil, surface water and groundwater mediates exposure to many organic and inorganic pollutants such as metals, metalloids, POPs, plastics and fine airborne particulates that affect ecosystem and human health. Exposure to these pollutants is largely driven by anthropogenic activities such as mining, energy production, agriculture, transportation, land development and manufacturing. Many adverse health effects such as cancer, neurotoxicity, metabolic disruption, endocrine effects and immunotoxicity have been linked to exposures of trace metals, metalloids, radionuclides, and organic pollutants. Conversely, deficiencies of elements such as iodine, selenium and zinc in soils and diet can lead to a variety of health problems. The diverse array of interactions between humans and the geochemical environment are particularly pertinent to the health of ecosystems and communities and are accentuated by external factors such as population growth, climate change and our growing exploitation of geochemical resources, all these interactions forging the One Health concept.  This theme will focus on the biogeochemical processes and parameters that underpin ecosystem and human health as well as their impacts and mitigation strategies. The interface between health and geochemistry is a vibrant research field that combines multidisciplinary approaches, such as multi-analytical studies, metal isotope geochemistry and novel modeling approaches. We are inviting sessions that emphasize such novel approaches and topics that include, but are not limited to: contaminant release and emission from anthropogenic and geogenic sources; distribution, transport and fate of contaminants and essential elements in the past, present and future; contaminant monitoring; intervention and remediation; past and present human exposure and risk assessment; toxicology, ecotoxicology and public health; metallomics and isotope metallomics; paleopathology; paleodiet, etc.

This theme will focus on all the geochemical research activities that tackle processes within the ocean, the atmosphere and the interaction between these earth compartments and the land surface. It contains marine biogeochemistry (from source to sink), the links between biological productivity and macro- and micro-nutrients, reconstruction of past ocean states, and interactions between atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemical cycles and climate. Sessions will cover the various approaches based on modern observations, sedimentary records, numerical modelling as well as experiments or development of new geochemical proxies

Geochemistry offers unique solutions to global challenges. However, translating this promise into practice necessitates an open, diverse, equitable and inclusive scientific model. This theme encourages sessions exploring all aspects of “Open Science” in geochemistry, or “geochemistry for all”. How do we achieve this goal, and what are the associated challenges and solutions?

Topics that may be addressed in this theme include: the role of geochemistry in providing solutions for society at large; the history of geochemistry; providing equitable participation in emerging open access publishing models and how to support these; developing open data and software infrastructure; developing interoperable data; and developing a new scientific culture that supports open science for the future. Open science requires diverse, equitable and inclusive participation, as well as effective engagement and communication with the public, communities, schools, the media, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Thus, sessions sharing successful experiences and materials for engaging with and communicating geochemistry with all audiences are encouraged.

This theme welcomes sessions of diverse formats, including, for example, invited panel discussions. 2023 will be declared as a “year of open science” so this theme is timely, aimed at shaping the future of our science.

In order to support broad participation, all abstracts submitted to this theme are free of charge, and can be in addition to another abstract from the same presenting author in another theme.