The Department of Geology, in cooperation with the Development and Continuing Education Unit at the College of Science, University of Baghdad, organized a lecture entitled “Basic Principles of Geochemistry” under the auspices of the Dean of the College, Assistant Professor Dr. Raed Faleh Hassan, and attended students, academics and specialist in geology and chemistry.
The purpose of the lecture was to present a review of some of the historical foundations of geochemistry, following the emergence of the term as a separate specialization after the establishment of major laboratories from the United States Geological Survey and beyond in systematic surveys of rock and metal chemists and observations by chemists, that the elements generally decrease in abundance while increasing their atomic weights.
The lecture presented by Dr. Rana Abbas Ali included the introduction to geochemistry, which shows a study of the distribution of elements, their behavior and analogues in various earth systems, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, rocky atmosphere and biosphere, indicating that geochemistry involves the examination of physical, chemical and biological processes that control the composition of rocks, minerals, soil, water and other natural materials. In addition, the importance of geochemistry in exploring resources, climate change and even forensic investigations, in a wide range of occupations and industries, particularly in environmental science and engineering, helps geochemists assess the impact of human activities on ecosystems and develop sustainable resource management strategies.