Meaning & use
geochemistry
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The scientific study of the chemical makeup of the Earth and the chemical processes that shape it.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: 'She studies geochemistry.' Not 'a geochemistry'.
Patterns
- study geochemistry
- in geochemistry
- geochemistry of something
He chose to study geochemistry because he wanted to understand how rocks form chemically.
Geochemistry helps scientists trace the movement of elements through the Earth's crust.
The geochemistry of the soil revealed high levels of iron and manganese.
nouncountable or uncountable
The chemical characteristics and processes of a particular area, rock, or sample.
Grammar: Often used with 'the' and 'of': 'the geochemistry of the region'. Can be countable in phrases like 'different geochemistries'.
Patterns
- the geochemistry of something
- regional geochemistry
- isotope geochemistry
The geochemistry of the lake sediments showed a change in pollution over time.
Researchers compared the geochemistry of volcanic rocks from two different islands.
Isotope geochemistry is a powerful tool for dating ancient rocks.
Common combinations
- isotope geochemistry
- Isotope geochemistry uses variations in atomic mass to study geological processes.
- organic geochemistry
- Organic geochemistry focuses on carbon-based compounds in rocks and sediments.
- environmental geochemistry
- Environmental geochemistry examines how pollutants move through soil and water.
- geochemistry data
- The geochemistry data were plotted on a graph to show element concentrations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chemical geology
- A broader term that includes geochemistry but also other chemical aspects of geology; geochemistry is the more specific and common term.
Word family
- geochemist noun
- A scientist who studies geochemistry.
- geochemical adjective
- Relating to geochemistry.
Commonly confused: geochemistry or geology? geochemistry or chemistry?
geochemistry vs geology
Geology is the study of the Earth's structure and history; geochemistry is specifically about its chemistry.
geochemistry vs chemistry
Chemistry is the general science of substances; geochemistry applies chemistry to the Earth.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'geochemistry' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Geochemistry' is uncountable, so it does not take 'a' or a plural form. The other options are grammatically incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “geochemistry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.