ELEMENTS MAGAZINE – Latest Updates


	Latest Updates --------------------------------------------------------- New Issue of Elements Available – Volume 5, Number 4 Mineral Magnetism: From Microbes to Meteorites Magnetism, the subject of this issue of Elements, was probably the first “invisible” physical force to be investigated by humankind (with the obvious exception of gravity). Indeed it was the subject of the first major scientific treatise written in the English-speaking world (De Magnete, by William Gilbert, published in 1600). From the ancients’ use of lodestone in the first primitive compass to modern industrial applications in electronics and computing, magnetism is a force that has fascinated and, at times, bemused those seeking to understand it. Read David Vaughan’s editorial, “Magnetism and Mesmerism.” Guest editors Joshua M. Feinberg (University of Minnesota) and Richard Harrison (University of Cambridge) have assembled a cast of international researchers who share their exciting results in this burgeoning area of investigation. Magnetic minerals are ubiquitous in the natural environment, and they are also present in a wide range of biological organisms, from bacteria to human beings. The last ten years have seen a striking improvement in our ability to detect and image the magnetization of minerals in geological and biological samples. Mineral magnetism (together with the related disciplines of rock magnetism, paleomagnetism, environmental magnetism, and biomagnetism) decodes this information and applies it to an ever increasing range of geoscience problems, from the origin of magnetic anomalies on Mars to quantifying variations in Earth’s paleoclimate. Geodynamo History Preserved in Single Silicate Crystals: Origins and Long-Term Mantle Control In his article, Professor John A. Tarduno (University of Rochester) outlines how one can learn about the evolution of Earth’s magnetic field by studying tiny inclusions of magnetite in silicate crystals. The long-term history of the magnetic field provides insight into how Earth’s innermost and outermost parts formed. The magnetic field is generated in the liquid-iron core as a result of convection driven by heat carried across the core–mantle boundary and freezing of the solid inner core. Earth’s magnetic field acts as a shield against energetic solar radiation, and therefore the geodynamo played an important role in the development and retention of our atmosphere, ultimately setting the stage for the evolution of life. Magnetism of Extraterrestrial Materials Extraterrestrial materials contain a diversity of ferromagnetic phases, ranging from common terrestrial oxides to exotic metal alloys and silicides. Because of their great age and remote provenance, meteorites provide a unique window on early solar system magnetic fields and the differentiation of other bodies. Interpreting the records of meteorites is complicated by their poorly understood rock magnetic properties and unfamiliar secondary processing by shock and low-temperature phase transformations. In this article, Prof. Pierre Rochette (CEREGE, France), Benjamin Weiss (MIT) and Jérôme Gattacceca (CEREGE, France) review our current understanding of the mineral magnetism of meteorites and the implications for magnetic fields on their parent bodies. Rain and Dust: Magnetic Records of Climate and Pollution Barbara A. Maher (University of Lancaster) provides two fascinating examples of the application of mineral magnetism to environmental problems. First she outlines how the magnetic-mineral content of soils of the Chinese Loess Plateau can be used to deduce past climates; then she explains how the magnetic properties of leaves along a busy highway are a good proxy for airborne pollutants. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of sediments from the Chinese Loess Plateau – the biggest accumulation of windblown sediments on Earth – reveal one of the best records of continental climate change available. These records provide a detailed picture of glacial and interglacial cycles and variations in the East Asian summer monsoon stretching back more than 2 million years. In the case of anthropogenic airborne particles, the spread of particulate pollutants can be robustly traced throughout a city environment by biomonitoring, i.e. measuring the magnetic properties of leaves, which trap magnetic particles released from vehicle exhausts and/or industry emissions. Magnetic Nanocrystals in Organisms Ferrimagnetic nanocrystals are present in virtually every organism. They are used by bacteria, algae, mollusks, insects, and vertebrates either for navigating in the geomagnetic field or for hardening their tissues. Advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques, including electron holography, reveal the complex interplay between the physical and magnetic properties and biological functions of ferrimagnetic nanocrystals in bacteria. Mihály Pósfai (University of Pannonia, Hungary) and Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski (Technical University of Denmark) provide outstanding images of magnetite crystals in bacteria and summarize our understanding of the magnetic sensory systems in more complex organisms. Crustal Magnetism, Lamellar Magnetism and Rocks That Remember Suzanne A. McEnroe (Geological Survey of Norway) and her colleagues provide a fascinating account of the discovery of lamellar magnetism, a new type of interface-based remanent magnetism. Lamellar magnetism may be an important contributor to deep-seated anomalies in the crust of the Earth and in other planets with highly magnetic crusts, like Mars. The same magnetic properties arising from the microstructures in the oxide minerals that produced remanent crustal anomalies due to billion-year-old “memories” are also templates for future data-storage devices. --------------------------------------------------------- Elements’ Impact Factor Climbs to 3.069 We are pleased to report that Elements’ impact factor is continuing the climb it started in 2006. Elements was launched in 2005 and received its first impact factor from the Institute of Scientific Information for 2006 (1.562). The following year, its impact factor climbed to 2.23, and was 3.069 for 2008. The 10 most cited articles from the time of publication to mid-July 2009 are: Charlet L, Polya DA (2006) Arsenic in shallow, reducing groundwaters in southern Asia: An environmental health disaster. Elements 2: 91-96 (41 citations) Harley SL, Kelly NM, Moller A (2007) Zircon behaviour and the thermal histories of mountain chains. Elements 3: 25-30 (26) Geisler T, Schaltegger U, Tomaschek (2007) Re-equilibration of zircon in aqueous fluids and melts. Elements 3: 43-50 (25) Self S, Thordarson T, Widdowson M (2005) Gas fluxes from flood basalt eruptions. Elements 1: 283-287 (23) Ohtani E (2005) Water in the mantle. Elements 1: 25-30 (21) Vaughan DJ (2006) Arsenic. Elements 2: 71-75 (18) Morin G, Calas G (2006) Arsenic in soils, mine tailings, and former industrial sites. Elements 2: 97-101 (18) O’Day PA (2006) Chemistry and mineralogy of arsenic. Elements 2: 77-83 (16) Burns PC, Klingensmith AL (2006) Uranium mineralogy and neptunium mobility. Elements 2: 351-356 (1) Openhayn C (2006) Arsenic in drinking water: Impact on human health. Elements 2: 103-107 (15) The issues that have garnered the most citations are: Arsenic (2006, v2n2, 115 citations); Zircon (2007, v3n1, 9); Large Igneous Provinces (2005, v1n5, 79); The Nuclear Fuel Cycle (2006, v2n6, 60), and Diamonds (2005, v1n2, 50). --------------------------------------------------------- July 16, 2009 – Press Release Rod Ewing, Chair of Elements Executive Committee, and the editors are pleased to announce that James I. Drever has accepted the position of principal editor 2010-2011. His term of office will start in January 2010, when he will replace Susan Stipp. James I. (Tim) Drever is a native of Scotland. He received an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Cambridge University and a PhD in geochemistry from Princeton. He spent three years at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he worked on early diagenesis of clay minerals and on the Apollo 11 lunar samples. He then moved to the University of Wyoming, where he has been ever since with the exception of sabbaticals in Switzerland, France, and Germany. He is currently a Distinguished Emeritus Professor. His main research interest is the chemistry of groundwater and surface waters, with a particular emphasis on weathering processes and the impacts of mining operations. A focus of his research has been bridging the gap between laboratory-scale experiments and what actually happens in the field. He is author of the textbook The Geochemistry of Natural Waters. He served as an Editor-in-Chief of Chemical Geology from 1995 to 2001 and has served as associate editor of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta and Geochemical Journal (Japan). He is a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geological Society of America. He is Past President of the Geochemical Society (2004–2005. It is under his leadership that the Geochemical Society decided to become one of Elements’ participating societies. Upon accepting the invitation made to him to join the Elements team, Tim mentioned that “Elements has been very successful in producing a magazine that is fun to read and addresses topics that are of wide interest within our community. It is having a real impact. I look forward to continuing this tradition and, in particular, to addressing topics of societal importance where Elements can play a role in educating the public and decision makers.” --------------------------------------------------------- 29 January 2009 – For Immediate Release Contact: Pierrette Tremblay (tremblpi@ete.inrs.ca) The December 2008 issue of Elements Magazine is now available online at www.elements.geoscienceworld.org and at www.elementsmagazine.org. The print version has been mailed on January 23. The Nanogeoscience issue contains six feature articles: Nanogeocience: From Origins to Cutting-Edge Applications Structure, Chemistry, and Properties of Mineral Nanoparticles Nanoparticles in the Atmosphere Nanoparticles in the Soil Environment Metal Transport by Iron Oxide Nanovectors Biogenic Uraninite Nanoparticles Michael F. Hochella, Jr. of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute is the guest editor. Elements Magazine is a bimonthly publication of 14 mineralogical, geochemical and petrology societies. Every issue explores a theme of broad and current interest in the mineral sciences. Elements also presents regular features like a calendar of events, short course announcements, awards, conference reports, policy news, as well as news of the Societies.

Latest Updates

---------------------------------------------------------
New Issue of Elements Available – Volume 5, Number 4
Mineral Magnetism: From Microbes to Meteorites

Magnetism, the subject of this issue of Elements, was probably the first “invisible” physical force to be investigated by humankind (with the obvious exception of gravity). Indeed it was the subject of the first major scientific treatise written in the English-speaking world (De Magnete, by William Gilbert, published in 1600). From the ancients’ use of lodestone in the first primitive compass to modern industrial applications in electronics and computing, magnetism is a force that has fascinated and, at times, bemused those seeking to understand it. Read David Vaughan’s editorial, “Magnetism and Mesmerism.”

Guest editors Joshua M. Feinberg (University of Minnesota) and Richard Harrison (University of Cambridge) have assembled a cast of international researchers who share their exciting results in this burgeoning area of investigation. Magnetic minerals are ubiquitous in the natural environment, and they are also present in a wide range of biological organisms, from bacteria to human beings. The last ten years have seen a striking improvement in our ability to detect and image the magnetization of minerals in geological and biological samples. Mineral magnetism (together with the related disciplines of rock magnetism, paleomagnetism, environmental magnetism, and biomagnetism) decodes this information and applies it to an ever increasing range of geoscience problems, from the origin of magnetic anomalies on Mars to quantifying variations in Earth’s paleoclimate.

Geodynamo History Preserved in Single Silicate Crystals: Origins and Long-Term Mantle Control
In his article, Professor John A. Tarduno (University of Rochester) outlines how one can learn about the evolution of Earth’s magnetic field by studying tiny inclusions of magnetite in silicate crystals. The long-term history of the magnetic field provides insight into how Earth’s innermost and outermost parts formed. The magnetic field is generated in the liquid-iron core as a result of convection driven by heat carried across the core–mantle boundary and freezing of the solid inner core. Earth’s magnetic field acts as a shield against energetic solar radiation, and therefore the geodynamo played an important role in the development and retention of our atmosphere, ultimately setting the stage for the evolution of life.

Magnetism of Extraterrestrial Materials
Extraterrestrial materials contain a diversity of ferromagnetic phases, ranging from common terrestrial oxides to exotic metal alloys and silicides. Because of their great age and remote provenance, meteorites provide a unique window on early solar system magnetic fields and the differentiation of other bodies. Interpreting the records of meteorites is complicated by their poorly understood rock magnetic properties and unfamiliar secondary processing by shock and low-temperature phase transformations. In this article, Prof. Pierre Rochette (CEREGE, France), Benjamin Weiss (MIT) and Jérôme Gattacceca (CEREGE, France) review our current understanding of the mineral magnetism of meteorites and the implications for magnetic fields on their parent bodies.

Rain and Dust: Magnetic Records of Climate and Pollution
Barbara A. Maher (University of Lancaster) provides two fascinating examples of the application of mineral magnetism to environmental problems. First she outlines how the magnetic-mineral content of soils of the Chinese Loess Plateau can be used to deduce past climates; then she explains how the magnetic properties of leaves along a busy highway are a good proxy for airborne pollutants. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of sediments from the Chinese Loess Plateau – the biggest accumulation of windblown sediments on Earth – reveal one of the best records of continental climate change available. These records provide a detailed picture of glacial and interglacial cycles and variations in the East Asian summer monsoon stretching back more than 2 million years. In the case of anthropogenic airborne particles, the spread of particulate pollutants can be robustly traced throughout a city environment by biomonitoring, i.e. measuring the magnetic properties of leaves, which trap magnetic particles released from vehicle exhausts and/or industry emissions.

Magnetic Nanocrystals in Organisms
Ferrimagnetic nanocrystals are present in virtually every organism. They are used by bacteria, algae, mollusks, insects, and vertebrates either for navigating in the geomagnetic field or for hardening their tissues. Advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques, including electron holography, reveal the complex interplay between the physical and magnetic properties and biological functions of ferrimagnetic nanocrystals in bacteria. Mihály Pósfai (University of Pannonia, Hungary) and Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski (Technical University of Denmark) provide outstanding images of magnetite crystals in bacteria and summarize our understanding of the magnetic sensory systems in more complex organisms.

Crustal Magnetism, Lamellar Magnetism and Rocks That Remember
Suzanne A. McEnroe (Geological Survey of Norway) and her colleagues provide a fascinating account of the discovery of lamellar magnetism, a new type of interface-based remanent magnetism. Lamellar magnetism may be an important contributor to deep-seated anomalies in the crust of the Earth and in other planets with highly magnetic crusts, like Mars. The same magnetic properties arising from the microstructures in the oxide minerals that produced remanent crustal anomalies due to billion-year-old “memories” are also templates for future data-storage devices.

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Elements’ Impact Factor Climbs to 3.069

We are pleased to report that Elements’ impact factor is continuing the climb it started in 2006. Elements was launched in 2005 and received its first impact factor from the Institute of Scientific Information for 2006 (1.562). The following year, its impact factor climbed to 2.23, and was 3.069 for 2008.

The 10 most cited articles from the time of publication to mid-July 2009 are:

Charlet L, Polya DA (2006) Arsenic in shallow, reducing groundwaters in southern Asia: An environmental health disaster. Elements 2: 91-96 (41 citations)

Harley SL, Kelly NM, Moller A (2007) Zircon behaviour and the thermal histories of mountain chains. Elements 3: 25-30 (26)

Geisler T, Schaltegger U, Tomaschek (2007) Re-equilibration of zircon in aqueous fluids and melts. Elements 3: 43-50 (25)

Self S, Thordarson T, Widdowson M (2005) Gas fluxes from flood basalt eruptions. Elements 1: 283-287 (23)

Ohtani E (2005) Water in the mantle. Elements 1: 25-30 (21)

Vaughan DJ (2006) Arsenic. Elements 2: 71-75 (18)

Morin G, Calas G (2006) Arsenic in soils, mine tailings, and former industrial sites. Elements 2: 97-101 (18)

O’Day PA (2006) Chemistry and mineralogy of arsenic. Elements 2: 77-83 (16)

Burns PC, Klingensmith AL (2006) Uranium mineralogy and neptunium mobility. Elements 2: 351-356 (1)

Openhayn C (2006) Arsenic in drinking water: Impact on human health. Elements 2: 103-107 (15)

The issues that have garnered the most citations are: Arsenic (2006, v2n2, 115 citations); Zircon (2007, v3n1, 9); Large Igneous Provinces (2005, v1n5, 79); The Nuclear Fuel Cycle (2006, v2n6, 60), and Diamonds (2005, v1n2, 50).

---------------------------------------------------------
July 16, 2009 – Press Release

Rod Ewing, Chair of Elements Executive Committee, and the editors are pleased to announce that James I. Drever has accepted the position of principal editor 2010-2011. His term of office will start in January 2010, when he will replace Susan Stipp.

James I. (Tim) Drever is a native of Scotland. He received an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Cambridge University and a PhD in geochemistry from Princeton. He spent three years at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he worked on early diagenesis of clay minerals and on the Apollo 11 lunar samples. He then moved to the University of Wyoming, where he has been ever since with the exception of sabbaticals in Switzerland, France, and Germany. He is currently a Distinguished Emeritus Professor. His main research interest is the chemistry of groundwater and surface waters, with a particular emphasis on weathering processes and the impacts of mining operations. A focus of his research has been bridging the gap between laboratory-scale experiments and what actually happens in the field. He is author of the textbook The Geochemistry of Natural Waters. He served as an Editor-in-Chief of Chemical Geology from 1995 to 2001 and has served as associate editor of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta and Geochemical Journal (Japan). He is a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geological Society of America. He is Past President of the Geochemical Society (2004–2005. It is under his leadership that the Geochemical Society decided to become one of Elements’ participating societies.

Upon accepting the invitation made to him to join the Elements team, Tim mentioned that “Elements has been very successful in producing a magazine that is fun to read and addresses topics that are of wide interest within our community. It is having a real impact. I look forward to continuing this tradition and, in particular, to addressing topics of societal importance where Elements can play a role in educating the public and decision makers.”

---------------------------------------------------------
29 January 2009 – For Immediate Release

Contact: Pierrette Tremblay (tremblpi@ete.inrs.ca)
The December 2008 issue of Elements Magazine is now available online at www.elements.geoscienceworld.org and at www.elementsmagazine.org. The print version has been mailed on January 23.
The Nanogeoscience issue contains six feature articles:

Nanogeocience: From Origins to Cutting-Edge Applications

Structure, Chemistry, and Properties of Mineral Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles in the Atmosphere

Nanoparticles in the Soil Environment

Metal Transport by Iron Oxide Nanovectors

Biogenic Uraninite Nanoparticles

Michael F. Hochella, Jr. of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute is the guest editor.
Elements Magazine is a bimonthly publication of 14 mineralogical, geochemical and petrology societies. Every issue explores a theme of broad and current interest in the mineral sciences. Elements also presents regular features like a calendar of events, short course announcements, awards, conference reports, policy news, as well as news of the Societies.