Front cover
Inside front cover
Geoscience themed issue: editorial
Guest editor Yu-ping Chin introduces this themed issue on geoscience.
Use of stable isotopes to identify sources of methane in Appalachian Basin shallow groundwaters: a review
This review focuses on existing research in the use of stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of methane, coupled with ethane stable carbon isotopes and hydrocarbon ratios, to evaluate the potential effects of shale gas development on shallow groundwater in the Appalachian Basin.
Structural characterization of dissolved organic matter: a review of current techniques for isolation and analysis
Current approaches to isolation and structural characterization of natural dissolved organic matter are presented and evaluated for strengths and weaknesses.
Uranium incorporation into aluminum-substituted ferrihydrite during iron(II)-induced transformation
Uranium retention processes (adsorption, precipitation, and incorporation into host minerals) exert strong controls on U mobility in the environment, and understanding U retention is therefore crucial for predicting the migration of U within surface and groundwater.
Chromium(III) oxidation by biogenic manganese oxides with varying structural ripening
Manganese (Mn) oxides, which are generally considered biogenic in origin within natural systems, are the only oxidants of Cr(III) under typical environmental conditions.
Effect of Michael adduction on peptide preservation in natural waters
The Michael reaction, during which a model quinone is attached to tetrapeptides, affects peptide preservation through the formation of more stable decomposition products in anthropogenically polluted riverine water. This work demonstrates how the Michael reaction on tetrapeptides can be a route for their long term preservation.
Using in situ voltammetry as a tool to identify and characterize habitats of iron-oxidizing bacteria: from fresh water wetlands to hydrothermal vent sites
In situ voltammetry used for chemical analysis of a variety of freshwater and marine habitats for Fe(II) oxidizing bacteria.
Inferring sources for mercury to inland lakes using sediment chronologies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Sediment PAH chronologies and compound ratios from inland lakes suggest the influence of local to sub-regional scale sources for mercury (Hg).
Contaminant-mediated photobleaching of wetland chromophoric dissolved organic matter
Organic contaminants in wetlands undergo indirect photodegradation in the presence of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and in turn can mediate the photobleaching of CDOM.
About this collection
Geology, and especially the field of geochemistry, has become inextricably linked to the environmental sciences, and has evolved over the past few decades to view earth in a much more holistic fashion. The papers in this themed issue guest edited by Yu-ping Chin reflect the diversity of research problems that face earth scientists studying environmentally relevant processes today. They range from the nano- to macro-scale and tackle problems that face organic and inorganic geochemists alike.