E L E M E N T SDECEMBER 2006

Society News

Mineralogical Associationof Canada

www.mineralogicalassociation.ca

YELLOWKNIFE 2007 MAY 23–25, 2007Yellowknife will host the first GAC-MAC conference north of 60°. Theconference coincides with the beginning of the International Polar Year.

The City of Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, is locatedon the north shore of Great Slave Lake and is famous for its Aurora Bore-alis and midnight sun. Founded in 1935 following the discovery of gold,the city now serves as a hub for mining and transportation, and providesinfrastructure support for Canada’s diamond mines.

Yellowknife 2007 will feature symposia and special sessions that high-light Canada’s North: its climate, its culture, its mining heritage, and itsfuture.

Although the weather can be cold in the North, the hospitality will bewarm. We hope you can join us at the Yellowknife meeting from May23 through May 25, 2007.

Here are some of the symposia and special sessions that will be held:

§ Mitigation of Environmental Impact of Mining in the North

§ Mineral Deposit Models and Regional ExplorationSymposium and Workshop

§ Submarine Volcanism and Associated Mineralization:Modern versus Ancient

§ Geospatial Information and Tools in Support of Geosciencesin the Canadian Arctic

§ Recent Advances in the Geology of Laurentia

§ Short-lived Magmatic Events of the Slave Provinceand Environs: Critical Time Markers and Indicators of Tectonic Processes

§ Northern Energy and Sedimentary Basins

§ Northern Mineral Deposits

§ Diamonds: Exploration to Production – a Northern Canada Perspective

§ Sustainable Mineral Resources Development: Critical Issues for Canada’s North

§ Northeast Canada and Greenland: Geology, Correlations,and Resource Potential

§ Comparative Planetary Geology: Terrestrial Analogues to Mars and the Moon in the Arctic

§ International Polar Year Research

§ New Exploration Techniques for Unconventional and Atypical Ore Deposits

The local organizing committee has negotiated special rates for flights toYellowknife from Edmonton. For more information, check http://www.nwtgeoscience.ca/yellowknife2007/welcome_en.html

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TThhee GGeeoollooggyy ooff GGeemm DDeeppoossiittssMINERALOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA SHORT COURSE

21–22 MAY 2007, YELLOWKNIFE, CANADA

SHORT COURSE ORGANIZER: Lee Groat, University of British Columbia

This two-day short course will look at gemstones from a geological perspective.It will precede Yellowknife 2007—the joint annual meeting of the GeologicalAssociation of Canada and the Mineralogical Association of Canada, inYellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. It will be a unique opportunity toexperience a change of climate and a meeting north of 60°. A special sessionentitled “Diamonds: Exploration to Production – A Northern Canada Perspective”and a post-conference field trip to the Canadian diamond mines, sponsored byBHP and Diavik, will complement the short course.

Gem deposits are rare because in general the conditions that promote theirformation are unusual and thus worthy of scientific study. Recently moderngeological and analytical techniques have been applied to gem occurrences inCanada and elsewhere, and our models and understanding of their formation arebeing radically altered. This short course will review our current understandingof diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald deposits but will also examine thelesser-known coloured gems.

1. INTRODUCTION

2. DIAMOND DEPOSITS (THOMAS STACHEL, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA)3. GEM CORUNDUM (RUBY AND SAPPHIRE) DEPOSITS (GASTON GIULIANI,

IRD AND CRPG/CNRS)4. GEM BERYL (EMERALD, AQUAMARINE, ETC.) DEPOSITS (DAN MARSHALL,

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY)5. PEGMATITE GEM DEPOSITS (SKIP SIMMONS, UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS)6. JADE DEPOSITS (GEORGE HARLOW, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY)7. CANADIAN COLOURED GEM OCCURRENCES (BRAD WILSON, ALPINEGEMS LTD.)

Registration fees: CDN$425 (professionnal) and CDN$250 (students)

For more information, e-mail Lee Groat at lgroat@eos.ubc.caor visit the conference website at www.nwtgeoscience.ca/Yellowknife2007

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The MAC Undergraduate Awards are given annually to undergraduatestudents for excellence in one of the fields covered by MAC (mineralogy,crystallography, petrology, geochemistry, and economic geology). Theaward consists of one free publication and a one-year subscription to theonline version of The Canadian Mineralogist.

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS 2005–2006

1. Melt inclusions in plutonic rocks:Petrography and microthermome-try – R.J. Bodnar, J. Student

2. Application of secondary ion massspectrometry to the determinationof traditional and non-traditionallight stable isotopes in silicate meltinclusions – G.D. Layne

3. In situ laser ablation–ICP–MSchemical analysis of meltinclusions and prospects forconstraining subduction zonemagmatism – T. Pettke

4. Melt inclusion record of magmaticimmiscibility in crustal and mantlemagmas – V.S. Kamenetsky

5. Crystallized melt inclusions ingabbroic rocks – I. Veksler

6. Parental magmas of plutoniccarbonatites, carbonate–silicateimmiscibility and decarbonationreactions: Evidence from melt andfluid inclusions – I. Veksler, D. Lentz

7. Magmatic processes and volatilephase generation in porphyry-typeenvironments: A laser ablation–ICP–MS study of silicate and sulfidemelt inclusions – W.E. Halter andC.A. Heinrich

8. Silicate melt inclusions in felsicplutons: A synthesis and review – J.W. Webster, R. Thomas

9. Understanding pegmatiteformation: The melt and fluidinclusion approach – R. Thomas,J.W. Webster, P. Davidson

10. Fluid and melt inclusions in thesubvolcanic environments fromvolcanic systems: Examples fromthe Neapolitan area and PontineIslands, Italy – B. De Vivo, A. Lima,V.S. Kamenetsky, L.V. Danyushevsky

ORDER ONLINE AT

www.mineralogicalassociation.caBY E-MAIL

office@mineralogicalassociation.caBY FAX: 418-653-0777

EDITORJames D. WebsterShort course volume 36provides an accurate account ofthe current state of knowledgeabout melt inclusions inplutonic rocks. The volumediscusses means to ensurehigh-quality melt inclusionresearch, provides practicalmethods to evaluate andinvestigate melt inclusions,describes important newanalytical techniques anduseful examples of theirapplication to natural systems,and summarizes currentunderstanding of plutonicsystems ranging from basalticto rhyolitic in composition.

MELT INCLUSIONS IN PLUTONIC ROCKSMINERALOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA SHORT COURSE VOLUME 36

Table of Contents

ISBN 0-921294-36-0 248 pages US$40 (outside Canada) CAN$40 (in Canada)

David A. Arsenault, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Stephanie A. Blais, St. Francis Xavier University

Natasha L. Bumstead, University of Western Ontario

Caroline Dennis, University of Windsor

Jill L. Dreger, University of Regina

Cetina Farrugia, McMaster University

Nathan R. Forslund, Lakehead University

Jennifer K. Greville, University of Manitoba

Brett J.H.M. Hamilton, University of Waterloo

Philippe Hurtubise, University of Ottawa

Erin M. Kellough, Mount Royal College

Kerry Klein, McGill University

Marc Laurencelle, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Evelyne Leduc, Queen’s University

Jenny A. MacAuley, University of Victoria

Heather E. Menicanin, Brock University

Ryan Noftall, St. Mary’s University

Jenna M. Phillips, Brandon University

Lise Robichaud, University of New Brunswick

Kara-Lynn Scallion, Acadia University

Reid Staples, Simon Fraser University

Mavros I. Whissell, Laurentian University

Mineralogical Association of Canada

STUDENT TRAVEL/RESEARCH GRANTS 2007

The Mineralogical Association of Canada will award travel andresearch grants to assist honours undergraduate and graduate

students in the mineral sciences to:• Present their research at a conference• Attend a short course or a field trip relevant

to their field of study• Visit a facility, laboratory or field area to gather data

for their research• Pay for analyses or equipment for their research

The maximum grant value is CDN$1200 per student. Grants willfund up to 50% of costs incurred for registration, travel and subsis-tence, and up to 100% of other research costs (e.g. equipment,analyses). Quotations and receipts may be requested for anyequipment purchased.

Eligibility• Graduate students and honours students at the undergra-

duate level in one of the fields covered in The CanadianMineralogist (mineralogy, crystallography, petrology,economic geology and geochemistry)

• Grant recipients must submit a report of their travel orresearch for possible publication by MAC.

For more information, see www.mineralogicalassociation.ca

Deadline to apply: January 15, 2007

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP AT:WWW.MINERALOGICALASSOCIATION.CA

Geochemical Society

www.geochemsoc.org

2006 GOLDSCHMIDT CONFERENCEOver 1300 geochemists from 40 countries madethe trek down under to the 16th V.M. GoldschmidtConference in Melbourne, Australia. Delegatesenjoyed five days packed full of the latest in geo-chemistry. The Melbourne Conference Centerproved to be an excellent venue and easily accom-

modated the 996 oral presentations (more than 12 concurrent sessionsdaily totaling 88 sessions) and 287 posters.

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The conference was madepossible through the effortsof Simon Turner (MacquarieUniversity), members of theprogramming committee, thesession chairs, and the eventorganizers at Tour Host. Theirefforts gave regional geochemiststhe opportunity to present to aninternational audience, andgeochemistry received somemuch-needed exposure inAustralia.

Several medals and awards werepresented during the conference,including the V.M. GoldschmidtAward to Susan Solomon and theF.W. Clarke Award to Alexis S.Templeton. The Gast Lecturewas given by John Eiler.

John Eiler (2006 Gast Lecturer) outside the Batman Theater

Left to right: Samuel Mukasa (V.M. Goldschmidt Award CommitteeChair), Susan Solomon (2006 V.M. Goldschmidt Medalist), and SueBrantley (GS President)

The exhibit hall provided a convenient meeting place. Posters were up for the five days of the conference.

Left to right: Gordon Brown (citationist),Alexis Templeton (2006 Clarke Medalist),and Sue Brantley (GS President)

New Logo Unveiled! After nearly a year of deliberating, the Geochemical Society is proudto announce the winning entry in its logo contest. The selectioncommittee narrowed the field from over 140 entries to just eight.The winning design was then selected by the board after consideringthe result of a poll of the GS membership.

The winning design wascreated and submitted byMarijo Murillo, a graphicdesigner from California.She found out about ourlogo contest through herhusband, who is a geo-chemist and a member ofthe Geochemical Society.

In her own words…My primary goal was to synthesize a newer and fresher image still recallingthe main features of the previous one. Thus, the change would not be soabrupt, and geochemists would still associate the new image with yoursociety. The key features of the original with which I worked are the globeand the hexagon. As in the original, the former represents the Earth (geo)while the latter is the structure of many minerals and the backbone oforganic aromatic molecules and thus stands for chemistry and mineralogy,respectively. I added curved lines that allow two different interpretations.First, they remind of water and the oceans. What would aqueous geochem-istry be without water? In this way, I offer an option to pay tribute to themedium that enabled the development of life and that constantly shapesand reshapes our surroundings (weathering, mass transport). Second, theyremind of the dynamic (continental and oceanic) crust, which is the primaryfield of research of hard-rock geochemists. I submerged the hexagon into aliquid (water, magma) thus evoking the four major solid–liquid interactionstaking place on or in the Earth (dissolution, precipitation, melting,crystallization).

Marijo Murillo

Membership SurveysIn August we conducted an online survey of the GS and EAG member-ships concerning Geochemical News. Your responses were veryenlightening and will go a long way in making Geochemical Newsbetter. In that spirit we will begin conducting regular online surveys.The next one will run through December 31 and will concern theGoldschmidt Conference. The survey will be available on ourannouncements page: http://www. geochemsoc.org/announce

Annual Membership DriveIf you have not done so already, please take a moment to renew yourmembership in the Geochemical Society. You may renew online ordownload a membership form from our website athttp://www.geochemsoc.org/join

Please consider making a donation while renewing your membership.Donations are tax deductible where applicable. Remember to indicatehow you would like your donation to be used.

For instance, the Student Travel Grants Program is intended forgraduate student researchers in geochemistry who are enrolled at anaccredited degree-granting university or institution and who intend topresent the results of their research activities in a talk or poster formatat an upcoming Goldschmidt Conference. Grants awarded through hisprogram are worth up to US$1000 and are applied towards travel costsincurred by applicants attending the conference. This program is opento students involved in all disciplines of geochemistry and petrology.In 2006, through a generous grant from the National Science Founda-tion, this program distributed US$39,000 to 38 students.

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In the October issue ofGEOCHEMICAL NEWS

Discover Victor Goldschmidt’s Britishconnection

And

Read a personal account of a voyageto the bottom of the sea in Alvin

GS Award Nominations NeededOnce again nominations are solicited for the 2007 Goldschmidt Medal,Clarke Medal, Treibs Medal, Patterson Award, and GS/EAG Geochemi-cal Fellow Awards. Please take the time to consider the accomplish-ments of your valued friends and colleagues and honor them with anomination. With your help, we can ensure that all of geochemistry isrecognized and all deserving geochemists are considered!

For detailed information on nomination requirements, please visit theGeochemical Society website at:

http://geochemsoc.org/archives/nominations.html

Seth Davis, Business ManagerWashington UniversityOne Brookings Drive, CB 1169Saint Louis, MO 63130-4899, United StatesTel.: 314.935.4131Fax: 314.935.4121E-mail: gsoffice@geochemsoc.orgWebsite: www.geochemsoc.org

NOTES FROM SAINT LOUIS

www.goldschmidt2007.org17th Annual Goldschmidt Conference, Cologne, Germany

August 19–24, 2007Organizing Committee: Herbert Palme, Albrecht Hofmann, Carsten Münker,and Sumit Chakraborty

Robert C. Aller, Stony BrookUniversity presented the F. EarlIngerson Lecture at the 2006GSA Meeting in Philadelphia“Tropical deltaic systems asunsteady diagenetic reactors,global C incinerators, andreverse weathering centers.”

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Mineralogical Society of America

www.minsocam.org

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Sustainability“Sustainability” permeates our culture. Theword is typically used to implore us tobecome better stewards of the Earth’s envi-ronment and resources now and for futuregenerations. Maintaining a sustainable Earthwill depend on advances in the sciences.One of our greatest scientific challenges is to understand Earth’s systems,its materials and processes, and our impact upon both. As they have inthe past, MSA members work on critically important societal issues. Sus-tainability is also necessary for our scientific societies, for they organizeour disparate interests into common themes. They promote, support,and validate our endeavors and they help to educate our policy makersand the public.

I’m thrilled to be part of MSA, a society that embraces the many aspectsof mineral science and fosters advances that enrich other disciplinesranging from art to medicine and forensics to physics. Elements, theshared worldwide magazine, illustrates this in every issue. Yet for all theways MSA sustains science, its own future is clouded by a need to sustaintwo critical, but fortunately renewable, resources: funds and the nextgeneration(s) of mineral scientists.

Financial sustainability has already improved. Recent challenges by PastPresidents Hazen and Valley have been matched with generosity byother past presidents and by the characteristic generosity of members (asreported in the August issue of Elements). To all, thank you—your con-tributions have substantially helped move MSA toward a sustainablefinancial future. But we are not there yet.

There are many other ways thatyou can help balance the MSAbudget, such as by

/ paying American Mineralogistpage charges. The creation costper page is ~$250, yet our pagecharges remain at a relativelylow $68. Without this financialcontribution, costs will soonrequire increases in paper andelectronic subscriptions, ourdedicated and hard-workingstaff cannot receive cost-of-living raises, and our presti-gious journal may starve.Alternatively, increasingrevenue could add more colorto the journal.

/ directing colleagues request-ing reprints to GeoScience-World’s website (of course firstasking if their librariessubscribe to GSW), wherearticles can be downloadeddirectly. MSA receives incomefor every American Mineralogistand Reviews in Mineralogy andGeochemistry article down-loaded from GSW.

/ renewing early and online.This helps MSA save postageand staff costs as well as paper(= trees).

/ becoming a “sustainingmember.” This provides a $150gift to the society along withyour membership dues.

Our financial resources maintainour worldwide programs.Additional income could enableus to expand our lecture seriesfurther and improve our website.MSA is a lean operation. Ourcouncilors, officers, and editorsdo not receive expense-paid tripsto meetings. They donate theirtime, like many of you, and travelat their own expense to help thesociety function.

Ultimately, it is our members thatmake MSA sustainable. From theSociety’s beginnings in 1919, wehave, and must continue to have,members from around the globe(see “Notes from Chantilly”). Ourrecords indicate that MSA has one80-year member, Dr. JamesMartens, who joined MSA in1924, and six 70-year members.These colleagues embody MSA’ssustainability! Today, MSA has116 fifty-year members and 527student (new generation)members!

Sustaining our numbers andensuring that our young colleaguesjoin may be a more difficult task

than giving a credit card number.Here are a few simple actions thatyou can take:

. Consider giving studentmemberships (only $10 in2007) to your top students asdepartmental awards, to yourgraduate students, and atraffles.

. Consider giving gift member-ships to other students. For thelast eight years, many membershave discussed MSA withmineral science students atprofessional meetings, thenoffered those students $5, anMSA pamphlet, and an MSAmembership application(available on the website), withdirections to the MSA booth.For 2007, the student member-ship fees will rise to $10, butit’s still a great value—for $100,you and your enthusiasm forMSA could give the Society thepotential gift of ten futuremembers! I challenge you tosign up students. For every newstudent membership contributedfrom now until 1 March 2007,I will personally reimburse youfor half of the cost. E-mail meat dutrow@lsu.edu for details.

. Nominate outstandingundergraduates for theAmerican Mineralogist Under-graduate Award. Winnersreceive a year’s membership, acertificate, Elements, AmericanMineralogist online, and anMSA book publication of theirchoice! Get them hooked early.Some of us became members asstudents and have neverwavered.

. At meetings or mineralshows, offer to treat yourfavorite mineral dealer to a“friendship year” with MSA.

. Students, encourage yourpeers to join.

Sustainability. As MSA nears its100th anniversary as a terrificinternational society, it is nowthat we must act together tosustain MSA well into its next100 years.

Please send your feedback, ideas,or insights to: dutrow@lsu.edu orpresident@minsocam.org. Or, ifyou wish anonymity, visitwww.minsocam.org, where wehave set up an anonymouscomments page. I look forwardto working with you.

Barb Dutrow2007 MSA President

The Mineralogical Society of America2008 Grants forRESEARCH IN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, MINERALPHYSICSOR CHEMISTRY, AND MINERALOGY

from the Edward H. Kraus Crystallographic Research Fund with contributions from MSA membership and friends

STUDENT RESEARCH IN MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY

from an endowment created by MSA members

Selection is based on the qualifications of the applicant, the quality, inno-vativeness, and scientific significance of the research of a written proposaland the likelihood of success of the project. There are three US$5000grants with no restrictions on how the funds may be spent, as long as theyare used in support of research. Application instructions and forms areavailable from the MSA home page, http://www.minsocam.org, or theMSA offices. Completed applications must be received by June 1, 2007.

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NOTES FROM CHANTILLY

On August 31, 2006, MSA had 2308 members, an increase from2005 and the highest number since 1993 (2326). The number ofregular members has been relatively flat or decreasing over the lastten years. The number of fellows has been declining slowly. Thetotal membership increase is due to a jump in student membersand, to a lesser degree, in senior members. This is illustrated in theaccompanying plot of number of members per year.

Regular (non-life) members and fellows are important componentsof the membership because they comprise the financial base of theSociety. Their loss is of concern. Students pay subsidized dues, butthey are the future of the society. At 527, the number of studentmembers in 2006 is the highest it has been since 1986 and 1987when the numbers were 528 and 529. However, the percentage ofstudent members is greater in 2006 (23%) than in 1986–1987 (19%).

The graph reflects events both in the larger world and in the Earthsciences. Dips in membership occurred during the Great Depressionand World War II. There was a tremendous increase in membershipas a result of the government’s focus on physical sciences after thewar, and then a steady drop from 1983 to 1998, brought on bychanges in spending priorities. The flat but erratic pattern at the topof the membership peak reflects the handling of MSA affairs by AGI(1969–1972), then AGU (1972–1985), before a separate MSA busi-ness office was established in 1985.

Not plotted here is the change in the number of institutional sub-scribers over the same time period. What is interesting in that trendis the steady growth of institutional subscribers during the Depres-sion years, from 199 in 1929 to 366 in 1939. Today it is oftenremarked that loss of institutional journal subscriptions is a resultof tight budgets. The Depression trend would suggest that today’slarge-scale journal cancellations may be more a matter of prioritiesthan lack of money. During the war years, the number of institu-tional subscribers dipped because most overseas subscribers werewhat was euphemistically referred to as “out of mail contact.” Ship-ments of non-war materials overseas were prohibited in order toprovide space for more critical materials. The numbers reboundedto 545 in 1946.

In 2006, 69% of MSA members subscribed to the journal in someform. This is little different from last year’s 70%. There is a contin-uing trend in which increasing numbers of members purchase elec-tronic access only.

year % paper % online % no journal

1995 94 6

1996 94 6

1997 92 8

1998 89 11

1999 88 12

2000 90 10

2001 78 22

2002 67 12 21

2003 61 15 24

2004 42 24 34

2005 47 23 30

2006 41 28 31

What might the future be for member journal subscriptions? Thenewest members of MSA might give an indication. Of the 178 newmembers who joined in 2006, 86 (48.3%) elected not to get thejournal in any form, 71 (39.9%) chose electronic access only, and21 (11.8%) chose both paper and web access.

J. Alex Speer, MSA Executive Directorj_a_speer@minsocam.org

2006–2007 MSA DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS

The Mineralogical Society of America is pleased to announce that itsDistinguished Lecturers and their lectures for 2006–2007 are:

Jane A. GilottiUniversity of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

Diamond and coesite: Forcing a new paradigm for continental collisions

Clues to high pressure melting of metasedimentary rocks deep in the heart of mountain belts

Tim K. LowensteinBinghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA

Reviving ancient organisms in crystals: Jurassic Park or Fantastic Lark?

Tracking changes in the chemistry of ancient seawater: Mammal blood, salt, and sea shells

High pCO2 in the Eocene greenhouse world from Green River Na-carbonates

Stephen W. ParmanDurham University, Durham, United Kingdom

The history of the Earth written in helium

Squinting at the Archean: Komatiites and the thermal evolution of the Earth

The schedules of the Lecturers’ tours are given onthe MSA website (www.minsocam.org). Check tosee if they may be at a location near you. MSAexpresses its appreciation to these individuals forundertaking such a service to our science.

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Mineralogical Society ofGreat Britain and Ireland

www.minersoc.org

NOTES FROM LONDON

New Lower-Cost Membership SchemeIn 2007, the Society is offering lower-cost membership to all members.

This will be accompanied by a general re-structuring of the membership

categories aimed at simplifying the present scheme. In future the Soci-

ety will have four main categories of members: Student Members, Mem-

bers, Fellows and Honorary Fellows. The Associate Member category will

be abolished. One of the goals of the re-structuring is to open up mem-

bership in the Society to a wider community, thus welcoming amateurs

as well as professionals interested in the mineral sciences. It also allows

greater flexibility in terms of choice of journals.

FOCUS ON CLAY MINERALS

Clay Minerals – Journal of Fine Particle Scienceis one of the Mineralogical Society’s threejournals. The Principal Editor is Prof. J.M.Adams of Exeter University. John comes tothe journal from a background in industry.

CoverageClay Minerals is an international journal,published four times a year, and includesresearch papers about clays, clay mineralsand related materials, natural or synthetic.The journal publishes papers on Earthprocesses, soil science, geology/mineralogy,chemistry/materials science, colloid/surface

science, applied science and technology and health/environment topics.The journal has an international editorial board with members from fif-teen countries.

How to Obtain a SubscriptionLibraries can subscribe to Clay Minerals by purchasing an institutionalsubscription from the Society, either direct or via a bookselling agent.See www.minersoc.org/pages/publications/subsrates.html for sub-scription rates.

OnlineClay Minerals is available online at www.minersoc.org/pages/e_journals/clay.html. Instructions on how to set up individual or institutional accessare available from that web page. If your library receives a paper copy ofClay Minerals, please ensure that it has also set up e-access. This willincrease readership and make the journal more useful and more used.Clay Minerals is also one of the journals in the very successful e-journalsaggregate GeoScienceWorld (www.geoscienceworld.org). This hasincreased its international audience. Libraries that subscribe to the jour-nal via GeoScienceWorld can receive the printed version for 50% of thenormal price. When placing your paper-copy order with the Society,please state that you have a subscription to GSW in order to benefit fromthe discount.

High ImpactHere is a list of some of the high-impact review papers published inClay Minerals in recent years:Joussein E, Petit S, Churchman J, Theng B, Righi D, Delvaux B (2005)

Halloysite clay minerals – a review. Clay Minerals 40: 383-426Gardolinski JEFC, Lagaly G (2005) Grafted organic derivatives of

kaolinite: I. Synthesis, chemical and rheological characteri-zation. Clay Minerals 40: 537-546

Gardolinski JEFC, Lagaly G (2005) Grafted organic derivatives ofkaolinite: II. Intercalation of primary n-alkylamines anddelamination. Clay Minerals 40: 547-556

Meunier A (2006) Why are clay minerals small? Clay Minerals 41:551-566

Grandjean J (2006) Solid-state NMR study of modified clays andpolymer/clay nanocomposites. Clay Minerals 41: 567-586

Wilson IR, De Souza Santos H, de Souza Santos P (2006) Kaolin andhalloysite deposits of Brazil. Clay Minerals 41: 697-716

Srodon J, Kotarba M, Biron A, Such P, Clauer N, Wojtowicz A (2006)Diagenetic history of the Podhale-Orava Basin and theunderlying Tatra sedimentary structural units (WesternCarpathians): evidence from XRD and K-Ar of illite-smectite.Clay Minerals 41: 751-774

Future review papers to appear in the journal include: Recent advances in computer simulations of clay–fluid systems,

by Neal SkipperMolecular-scale architecture of hybrid nanoparticles,

by Cliff Johnston

Earlier this year the Bye-laws werechanged to make Fellowship aprofessional category of member-ship of the highest order. Infuture, members will be invited toapply for this professional gradeof membership. This will includedemonstration of at least 5 years’relevant post-graduate experienceand a commitment to continuingprofessional development.

Students studying mineralsciences are particularly welcomeas members. To encourage thenew generation of mineralscientists, free membership in theSociety is being offered tostudents for one year. This willinclude six free issues of Elementsmagazine.

Cost of basic membership in 2007will be only £30.00 for membersand fellows and £10.00 forstudents (other than new joiners).This cost will include six issues ofElements magazine. If membersrequire access to one or all of theSociety’s three online journals,there is an additional fee of£20.00. Members wishing toreceive a paper copy of eitherMineralogical Magazine or ClayMinerals are charged £30.00 perjournal per year or £50.00 forboth journals, still a veryattractive price.

Frontiers 2007Now is the time to pen yourabstract for the Frontiers inMineral Sciences 2007 meeting tobe held 26–28 June 2007 atFitzwilliam College in Cambridge.Remember the abstract andregistration deadline is 28February 2007. You can submityour abstract and register onlineat www.minersoc.org/Fron-tiers2007.html. Online creditcard payment is secure becauseyour data are encrypted as soonas you click the submit button.The number of rooms available atFitzwilliam College is limited, soremember to register early toavoid disappointment.

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Special Issue In March 2006, a special issue of the journal waspublished: Clay minerals in onshore and offshorestrata of the British Isles: origins and clay mineralstratigraphy, vol. 41, 512 pp. This issue waspainstakingly put together by the authors, withguidance from editors Christopher Jeans and DickMerriman, and has taken several years to compile.It contains many thousands of new analyses andwill provide clay mineralogists, particularly thosewith an interest in stratigraphy, with much foodfor thought. It will be of interest to UK and non-UK researchers alike as there will be manyopportunities for correlation with clays in thestrata from elsewhere. Copies of the special hard-back version of this special issue are available fromthe Mineralogical Society office at a list price of£70. Readers of Elements are eligible for thereduced rate of £49.

Authors are encouraged to submit their papers tothe Principal Editor, Prof. J.M. Adams, at: john@treviles.com. Instructions to authors are availablefrom www.minersoc.org/pages/e_journals/cm_authors.pdf.

CALL FOR BURSARY APPLICATIONS FOR 2007

A sum of £6,000 is available in 2007 for bursary awards – £4,000 to post-graduate students and £2,000 to qualified research workers to help themattend a conference to present their work or carry out fieldwork. Preferencemay be given to members of the Society, but membership is not mandatory toreceive an award. Bursaries are awarded up to a maximum of £500 or 50% ofthe total cost of the project, whichever is less.

Full details on how to apply for a Postgraduate Student or Senior Travel Bursarycan be found on the website www.minersoc.org.pages/awards/awards.html.Applications should be sent to the Executive Secretary, Dr Adrian Lloyd-Lawrence, to arrive by 19 January 2007.

IMAGES OF CLAYAn ongoing project of the MineralogicalSociety’s Clay Minerals Group and The

Clay Minerals Society.

Please go to the website at www.minersoc.org/pages/gallery/

to download high-quality electron micrographs of clay minerals that arefreely available for teaching purposes.

E L E M E N T S DECEMBER 2006

Society News

European Association for Geochemistry

www.eag.eu.com

382

EAG INTRODUCES ITS NEW OFFICERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS

The European Association for Geochemistry (EAG) elected two new offi-

cers and five new councilors at its general assembly held at the annual

Goldschmidt meeting in Melbourne, Australia. Eric H. Oelkers was

elected new EAG vice-president and Susan Stipp was elected EAG secre-

tary. Chris Ballentine, Bernard Bourdon, Lara Duro, Michael Walter, and

Bernhard Wehrli were selected as councilors to serve from 1 January

2007 to 31 December 2009.

Eric H.Oelkers,EAG’s newvice-president,is a CNRSresearchdirector and

the chair of the ExperimentalGeochemistry and Biogeochem-istry Department in Toulouse,France. Eric has previously servedthe EAG as a councilor andtreasurer. He has also served as adirector of the GeochemicalSociety, co–Editor in Chief ofChemical Geology, and associateeditor of Geochimica et Cos-mochimica Acta. Eric has also co-edited four special journal issuesover the past year, including the2005 Chemical Geology issue‘Geochemical Aspects of CO2

Sequestration’. His primaryresearch area is experimentaldetermination of the thermody-namics and kinetics of mineral–fluid reactions. He has recentlyraised over 5 million euros tocreate two Europe-wide trainingand research networks (MIR andMIN-GRO) aimed at quantifyingthe reactivity of mineral–fluidinterfaces.

Susan L.S.Stipp, EAG’snew secretary,is professor ofgeochemistryand leader ofthe NanoGeo-

Science Group at the Universityof Copenhagen. Her researchfocuses on defining the mecha-nisms that control the uptake andrelease of trace components bymineral surfaces, typically ingroundwater regimes. Recently,she began the Nano-ChalkVenture, which provides fundingfor a cooperative effort by 30 to40 physicists, chemists, mineralo-gists, molecular biologists,engineers and students to applynanoscale technology to improveoil recovery. Susan brings to herEAG position a good measure oforganisational background. Shehas previously served as councilorfor EAG and on governing boardsand executive committees inseveral research networks,scientific societies and govern-ment advisory panels. In 2004,she convened the CopenhagenGoldschmidt Conference, and inJanuary 2007, she will begin aterm as principal editor ofElements.

ChrisBallentineis a professorof isotopegeochemistryat TheUniversity of

Manchester. His research is aimedat developing the inert noblegases as a tool to trace fluid originand process in a wide range ofgeological settings, from theorigin and evolution of planetaryvolatiles to basin fluids. Past workhas included quantifying the roleof the regional groundwatersystem in the basin-scaletransport of oil and gas, andidentifying the origin of CO2 andN2 in natural gases. Morerecently, his work has resulted inthe development of models thatprovide a quantitative under-standing of the interactionbetween natural gas and ground-water in various targets oranalogues for the geologicalstorage of anthropogenic CO2.

BernardBourdon isa professorof isotopegeochemistryat the ETHZurich,

Switzerland. His main researchinterests are in the field ofisotope geochemistry, with afocus on understanding magmageneration, the processes of earlyplanet evolution (including theEarth’s), and the application ofisotopes for understandingprocesses at the surface of theEarth. He has been involved indeveloping new applications ofU-series geochemistry forunderstanding chemical weather-ing and transport in aquifers. Hecompleted his PhD at ColumbiaUniversity, New York (1994),then was at the Institut dePhysique du Globe de Paris(France) before moving to ETHZurich in 2005.

Lara Durocompleted aPhD at theUniversitat deBarcelona(1996) on thecoupling

between Fe(III) and U(VI). Shestarted her professional career in1994 in the newly createdSpanish office of INTERA, anenvironmental consultancyspecialised in radioactive wastemanagement. Since 2000 she

heads the Waste ManagementDepartment of ENVIROS Spain, ascientific-technical consultancywhose main area of work isrelated to nuclear waste manage-ment, and since March 2006 sheis the deputy managing directorof the same company. Her maintechnical areas of expertise arethe geochemical modeling ofheavy metals and trace elements(including radionuclides) innatural waters, thermodynamicand kinetic modeling of labora-tory-scale and pilot-scaleexperiments, development ofchemical models to understandthe behaviour of spent nuclearfuel under repository conditions,reactive transport modeling topredict the evolution of contami-nant plumes and input to globalrisk and performance assessment.

Michael J.Walter iscurrentlyemployed as areader at theUniversity ofBristol. His

interests are in high-P–T experi-mental petrology, geochemistry,and mineral physics. High-P–Texperiments on model terrestrialcompositions are used to simulateconditions ranging from shallowcrustal levels to planetary cores.Phase equilibrium, elementpartitioning, and thermoelasticdata from such experiments helpto constrain modern theories forthe origin and evolution of Earthand other planetary bodies. Inrecent years, his work has focusedon three general areas: (1) thegeneration of mafic and ultra-mafic magmas and residualperidotite in the upper mantle,(2) the differentiation of themantle and core in the earlyEarth, and (3) subsolidus deepmantle phase relations andcrystal chemistry

BernardWehrli iscurrently aprofessor ofaquaticgeochemistryat the ETH

Zurich. His main area of interestinvolves biogeochemicalprocesses in surface waters,including rivers, lakes, andwetlands. In part, his efforts aredirected towards developingsolutions for the integratedmanagement of aquatic systems.

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THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR GEOCHEMISTRY INVITES YOU ALL TO

GOLDSCHMIDT 2007“Atoms to Planets”

The 2007 Goldschmidt Conference will be held inCologne, Germany, on August 19–24, 2007. TheGoldschmidt Conference is the premier annualmeeting in geochemistry and mineralogy. In additionto its usual sponsors, the European Association forGeochemistry and the Geochemical Society, theCologne meeting is co-sponsored by the GermanMineralogical Society. This meeting will cover the fullrange of geochemistry, from cosmochemistry tomineralogy and the origin of life. Sessions areplanned on the following themes:

• Analytical Geochemistry• Atmospheres and Oceans

(including Climate Change)• Biogeochemistry and Geomicrobiology• Computational Geochemistry• Cosmochemistry• Crystal Chemistry and Crystallography• Environmental Geochemistry and Mineralogy• Experimental Geochemistry and Mineralogy• Fluid–Rock Interaction• Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Surfaces• Igneous Petrology• Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology• Metamorphic Petrology• Mineral Deposits and Economic Geology• Mineralogy• Organic Geochemistry• Planetary Geochemistry• Sedimentary Geochemistry

Cologne has just over one million inhabitants and is thefourth-largest city in Germany. Founded by the Romans,Cologne is the oldest of the major German cities and is stillcharacterized by its 2000 years of history. The metropolis onthe Rhine annually attracts many millions of visitors.

To get further information on the 2007 Goldschmidt Confer-ence, please visit the website

www.the-conference.com/gold2007

EAG HONORS ITS 2006 AWARD WINNERS

The EAG awarded its annual Urey Medal to Herbert Palme and its Houter-mans Medal to James Badro during the annual Goldschmidt meeting inMelbourne, Australia.

Herbert Palme receiving the 2006Urey Medal from Bruce Yardley,EAG President

James Badro accepting the 2006Houtermans Medal from BruceYardley, EAG President

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2007UREY AND HOUTERMANS MEDALS

Urey Medal1

The H.C. Urey Medal is given annually by the European Associationfor Geochemistry and is intended to honour established scientists

for outstanding research contributions to any field of geochemistry.The award is based solely on scientific merit without regard to nation-ality, and will normally be presented at the V.M. Goldschmidt Confer-ence. Nominations for the H.C. Urey Medal should be accompaniedby a brief statement from the nominator outlining the reasons for thenomination and should include an abbreviated curriculum vitæ andbibliography of the proposed candidate, as well as several letters ofsupport. Recent recipients are H.C. Helgeson (2004), A. Navrotsky(2005), and H. Palme (2006).

Nominations for the 2007 H.C. UREY MEDAL should be submittedbefore 15 January 2007 to:

Eric H. OelkersExperimental Geochemistry and BiogeochemistryLMTG/CNRS14 ave Edouard Belin31400 Toulouse, FRANCEE-mail: oelkers@lmtg.obs-mip.fr

Houtermans Medal1

The Houtermans Medal is given annually by the European Associa-tion for Geochemistry and is awarded in recognition of an out-

standing publication or series of publications by a young scientistunder the age of 35 in the fields of geochemistry or cosmochemistry.The award consists of a medal and a certificate. The 2005 recipient wasJames Badro.

Nominations for the HOUTERMANS MEDAL should consist of a briefstatement from the nominator outlining the reasons for the nomina-tion and should include an abbreviated curriculum vitæ and bibliog-raphy of the proposed candidate. They should be submitted before15 January 2007 to:

Bruce W.D. YardleySchool of Earth Sciences University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT, UKE-mail: bruce@earth.leeds.ac.uk

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The Clay Minerals Society

www.clays.org

SOCIETY COUNCIL FOR 2006–2007The Executive of The Clay Minerals Society for 2006–2007 comprises

Richard K. Brown (President) rbrown@wyoben.com

Ray Ferrell (Vice President) rferrell@lsu.edu

Andy Thomas (Treasurer) andrew.thomas@chevron.com

Warren Huff (Secretary) warren.huff@uc.edu

Derek Bain (Editor in Chief, Clays and Clay Minerals)clayed@macaulay.ac.uk

Cliff Johnston (Past President) clays@purdue.edu

The council members are James Amonette, Steve Hillier, Heather Dion,

Christopher Breen, James Kubicki, Patricia Maurice, Victoria Hover,

Richard Lahann, Douglas McCarty, Sridhar Komarneni, Lynda Williams,

and Michael Velbel.

FROM THE TREASURERHowdy! It has been my pleasure to be the treas-urer of The Clay Minerals Society, and I am nowin my fifth and transition year. Many considertreasuring to be a task fraught with concern,adding machines, and tax forms. In fact, the posi-tion of CMS treasurer is rather one of horizon-viewing, and involves financial oversight andguidance rather than bookkeeping. I receive valu-able assistance from the CMS Finance and BudgetSubcommittee, currently chaired by Reed Glass-man and chaired in the past by Richard Brown.

Our income continues to meet expenses througha varied set of income streams. Member dues and institutional subscrip-tions make up over 60% of the Society’s income, and these traditionalsources have been with us since the beginning. The Society has manymore varieties of expenses than it does sources of income. Though thissometimes causes headaches, it is reassuring that we can afford to main-tain our Student Grants Program, to support publication of the ShortCourse Notes volumes, and to engage in projects such as digitizing theentire CCM archive, for example. The CMS spends its money judi-ciously, and with continued careful management, we look forward tomany more years of working with and for the clay community.

One of the income streams for the CMS is the Source Clays Repository(www.clays.org/sourceclays/SourceClays.html), located near PurdueUniversity and ably run by Cliff Johnston and Darrell Schulze, with helpfrom G.S. Premachandra. These Source Clays and their documentationin the CCM Source Clay Volume contribute to the greater body of phyl-losilicate knowledge and are a well-characterized set of materials, readyfor further research projects. Most laboratories consider their standardscollection incomplete without the Source Clays, so thank you all for that.

Our Society’s masthead is our journal, Clays and Clay Minerals. Producinga journal of this caliber requires money, yet through the diligent effortsof Derek Bain and Kevin Murphy, clever measures to reduce cost and

maintain quality have been found continually. I am pleased to say thattoday Clays and Clay Minerals costs ~95% of what it cost to produce in2000. Considering our more colourful format and five years of inflation,that is quite a feat.

Our society office recently moved from Aurora, Colorado, to Chantilly,Virginia, and is now run by Alex Speer and Michelle Johnson. The CMSExecutive Committee feels that this transition, which saves us money,will probably also pay longer-haul dividends in terms of membershipand new ideas. We constantly seek new ideas regarding finance and wel-come feedback from any member regarding our financial process, exam-ined each year at the CMS annual meeting.

Andrew Thomas, Treasurer andrew.thomas@chevron.com

Andrew Thomas

OBITUARY –VERNON JAMESHURST

Vernon Hurst, 83, Research

Professor Emeritus in the

Department of Geology at

the University of Georgia at

Athens (UGA), died on July

28, 2006.

Dr. Hurst was born on July18, 1923, in Glenmore,Georgia. A member of the97th U.S. Infantry, Hurstserved in both the combat

European theatre and during the occupation of Japan. FollowingWorld War II, Hurst received his BSc degree from the University ofGeorgia and MS from Emory University. Hurst worked with ErnstCloos, as well as with Hatton Yoder at the Geophysical Laboratoryof the Carnegie Institution to earn his PhD in geology from theJohns Hopkins University in high-P–T hydrothermal mineralogy.He founded the Geology Department at UGA in 1965 and served asdepartment head for eight years and chairman of the Physical Sci-ences Division for four years. Hurst held a University Research Pro-fessorship for 22 years, trained 9 PhD and 26 MS students, and pub-lished over 150 scientific papers.

An early proponent of transmission electron microscopy, Hurststudied mineral weathering and crystal growth, incorporating fun-damental research findings into such economic applications asimproved clay mineral beneficiation via selective flocculation andmagnetic separation. In addition to basic and applied mineralogicalresearch, Hurst performed extensive fieldwork and helped pioneergeologic mapping of highly saprolitized terrains. During his longcareer, he published many details on the stratigraphy and mineral-ogy of Georgia’s Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments and contributedsignificantly to our understanding of the role of microbial processesand the origin of Georgia’s world-famous soft and hard kaolins.Hurst was first to recognize classic Barrovian metamorphism inGeorgia and published geologic maps of twelve counties. He alsopublished on the gold districts and talc deposits in Georgia. He wasa 50-year fellow of the Geological Society of America and the Min-eralogical Society of America. He was also a member of Sigma Xiand Phi Kappa Phi. The Clay Minerals Society, in recognition of alifetime of scientific achievements, selected him as a Pioneer inClay Science Lecturer in 2003.

W.W. Barker

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385

CMS PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Table of contents Volume 54, Number 6 December 2006

George E. Christidis and Ioannis MitsisA new Ni-rich stevensite from theophiolite complex of Othrys,Central Greece

Maria Bentabol, Maria Dolores RuizCruz, Francisco Javier Huertas andJose LinaresHydrothermal synthesis of Mg-and Mg-Ni-rich kaolinite

Christopher D. Johnson, Anthony J.Mallon and Fred WorrallAdhered zeolite preparation onand within a muscovite mica byhydrothermal growth

Hongping He, Qin Zhou, Wayde N.Martens, Theo J. Kloprogge, PengYuan, Yunfei Xi, Jianxi Zhu and Ray L. FrostMicrostructure of HDTMA+modified montmorillonite and itsinfluence on the sorptioncharacteristics

Zorica Vukoviç, Aleksandra Miluti-noviç-Nikoliç, Ljiljana RoÏiç,

Aleksandra Rosiç, Zoran Nediç andDusan JovanoviçThe influence of acid treatment oncomposition of bentonite

R. Zanelli, M. Egli, A. Mirabella,M. Abdelmoula, M. Plötze andM. Nötzli‘Black’ soils in the Southern Alps:clay mineral formation andtransformation, amorphous Alphases and Fe forms

Felipe N. B. Simas, Carlos Ernesto G. R.Schaefer, Vander F. Melo, MarceloB. B. Guerra, Martin Saunders andRobert J. Gilkes

Clay-sized minerals in permafrost-affected soils (Cryosols) from KingGeorge Island, Antarctica

Amaya Romero, Fernando Dorado,Isaac Asencio, Prado Belen Garcíaand José Luis ValverdeTitanium pillared clays: synthesisand general characterization

Oladipo Omotoso, Douglas KMcCarty, Stephen Hillier andReinhard KleebergSome successful approaches toquantitative mineral analysis asrevealed by the 3rd ReynoldsCup contest

Robert J. Reynolds Jr. ResearchAward to Deb Jaisi

The Robert J. ReynoldsJr. Research Award isan annual grant madefor the best proposalfor student research.This year’s grant wentto Deb Jaisi fromMiami University,Ohio. Deb’s work isdescribed in the

paragraph below. The Society is pleased to beable to help further Deb’s research.

99Tc has been released into the environmentduring weapon testing and waste disposal. Thelong half-life (2.13 × 105 years), high mobility(as stable TcO4

-), and subsequent uptake intothe food chain cause Tc(VII) to be a significantcontaminant and hence a threat to our society.As it is now realized that physical (pump andtreat), chemical (adsorption, ion-exchange),and biological (enzymatic reduction) methodsare inappropriate for the long-term contain-ment of the contaminant, the scientificcommunities are increasingly concerned aboutfinding reliable alternatives. Clay minerals, thefoe in existing remediation practices, can beturned into friend by reducing its Fe(III) to Fe(II)by chemical or biological means. The multifac-eted Fe(II) (on variably charged sites, exchangeand structural sites) in reduced clay is very goodat reducing Tc(VII) to Tc(IV) and henceimmobilizing Tc in groundwater and soils. Theincreased charge due to Fe(III) reduction inclays promotes accelerated aggregation of clayparticles and hence provides an effective meansfor in situ containment of reduced Tc(IV).

CMS Student Research Grantto Pankaj Kulshrestha

A CMS studentresearch grant wasawarded to PankajKulshrestha, from theState University ofNew York at Buffalofor his project on thedevelopment ofnanocomposites oftitanium dioxide and

silicate particles as photocatalytic greenoxidants for the mineralization of methyltertiary-butyl ether.

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) has beenused as a gasoline additive in the United Statessince the late 1970s when it was introduced asa means of maintaining adequate octaneratings during the phase-out of alkyl leadadditives. By 2000, MTBE had become thefourth highest organic chemical carcinogen,with an aggregate production of ~60 millionmetric tonnes. MTBE has a solubility exceeding5000 mg/L at room temperature, making itvery mobile in groundwater systems, and is thesecond most frequently detected compoundafter chloroform in groundwater, surface water,and storm water. MTBE is regarded as recalci-trant because it is not biodegradable in water,and there are no widely accepted estimates ofits half-life. Stable nanocomposites of titaniumdioxide and silicate particles could be used inthe photocatalytic mineralization of MTBE.These nanocomposites have large surface areasbecause of the introduction of surfactants intheir synthesis. With metal and non-metaldoping, these nanocomposites could use lightin the visible range of the solar spectrum toeffectively mineralize MTBE in the aqueousenvironment.

Jill Banfield elected to NationalAcademy of Science

For 2006, the U.S.National Academy ofSciences announced theelection of 72 new mem-bers and 18 foreign asso-ciates from 16 countriesin recognition of theirdistinguished and cont-

inuing achievements in original research.Included in the election was Prof. Jill Banfield,CMS member. “Election to the Academy isconsidered one of the highest honors inAmerican science and engineering,” saidRalph Cicerone, who became president of theAcademy in 2005. Barbara Schaal, an NASmember since 1999 who was elected last yearas the Academy’s first woman vice president,noted, “This year’s new class represents out-standing accomplishment in a wide varietyof disciplines.” The new elections bring thetotal number of active members to 2013.

In 2000 Banfield received the Marion L. andChristie M. Jackson Mid-Career Clay ScientistAward of the Clay Minerals Society and in2005 she delivered the Pioneer Lecture at theCMS annual meeting.

Jill’s research involves study of the interac-tions between microorganisms and mineralsand the impact of microorganisms onmineral weathering and crystal growth.Specific topics of current interest includemicrobial controls on silicate, phosphate, andsulfide mineral dissolution reactions, theroles of microorganisms in geochemicalcycling of nutrients, and metals in theenvironment. Approaches include applicationof molecular biological (including genomic)analyses to understand the biochemicalpathways that underpin biogeochemicalprocesses. She is also interested in microbialevolution and the mechanisms by whichmicroorganisms adapt to environmentalchallenges. Other current research focuses onthe thermodynamics and kinetic behavior ofnanocrystalline materials produced bybiomineralization and mineral weathering(structure, phase stability, crystal growthkinetics, morphology evolution, andmicrostructure development).

CLAYS AND CLAY MINERALS

Enchanted Clays -The 44th Annual Meeting of the Clay Minerals Society will be held June2007 in beautiful and historic Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Santa Fe provides an idyllic location inthe southwestern United States for attendees to enjoy technical and social sessions while soakingup the diverse culture and wonderful climate of New Mexico-The Land of Enchantment. Weencourage you to attend, to share knowledge and ideas, to benefit from technical interactions, andto relax in the wonderful historic and enchanted environs of Santa Fe. www.sandia.gov./clay

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Society News

www.iagc.ca

International Associationof GeoChemistry

IAGC NEWS

IAGC at Goldschmidt The IAGC was well represented at the recent Goldschmidt Conference inMelbourne, Australia. IAGC council members and working group chair-men attending the meeting included Ron Fuge, Alakendra Roychoud-

hury, Shaun Frape, Jan Kramers andMartin Novak. The booth receivedmany visitors and became something ofa retreat for some of the conference del-egates who had become saturated byfive days of up to twelve parallel ses-sions, many of which were on high-temperature geochemistry topics! Anadditional attraction at the booth wasthe variety and quantity of candiesavailable (known as ‘lollies’ in Australia)and the free IAGC embossed key rings.Over 30 new members signed up, mostof them Australians, and daily draws fora free membership in IAGC and sub-scription to Applied Geochemistry keptdelegates returning daily to the boothto put their name in once more for thedraw!

International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry(ISEG-7) This conference took place in Beijing, China, 25–27 September, 2006.The meeting was supported by the IAGC, and about 400 geochemistsattended, about half of them from countries other than China. Themeeting was held in the Beijing Grand Continental Hotel, next to theOlympic Park, which is currently under construction for the 2008Olympics.

The abstracts of papers given at ISEG-7 have been published in theChinese Journal of Geochemistry (volume 25, ISSN 1000-9426), BrillAcademic Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Water–Rock InteractionSymposium – New Dates!Note that the timing of WRI-12has been changed from August13–18 to July 31–August 5, 2007.The conference is to be held inKunming, China. The dates forWRI-12 were changed to avoid anunfortunate clash with the 17th

Goldschmidt Conference (August19–24).

The Water–Rock InteractionWorking Group of the IAGC isinviting scientists to attend WRI-12. Kunming is in the center ofthe Yunnan-Guizhou plateau ofsouthwestern China. WRI-12 willfeature all aspects of weathering,with emphasis on karst geochem-istry, hydrothermal systems oftectonically active regions andwater–rock–gas interactions onother planets. The websitewww.wri12.org provides detailson the oral and poster sessions,accompanying guest program,social activities and field trips.The final circular containing thefinal version of the scientific andsocial programs for WRI-12 willbe handed out to participants atregistration. The website alsoprovides information on Kun-ming. We look forward to seeingyou there!

Yanxin WangSecretary General

Goldschmidt 2007 andIAGC’s 40th BirthdayThe IAGC will hold a specialcelebration to commemorate its40th anniversary on Saturday, 18August 2007, in conjunction withthe 17th annual GoldschmidtConference in Cologne, Ger-

many, August 19–24, 2007.Information about the celebrationcan be found at www.iagc.ca

The Goldschmidt Conference(www.goldschmidt2007.org) willbe held in association with theannual meeting of the GermanMineralogical Society. Sixteenbroad themes have been selectedcovering the full range ofgeochemical research, from theformation of the solar system toenvironmental research, and frombiogeochemistry to mineralogy(see page 383). Suggestions forsymposia or ideas for generalsymposia should be addressed tothe International ProgramCommittee (IPC) membersresponsible for the relevanttheme as soon as possible, or sentto the chair of the IPC (HerbertPalme, herbert.palme@uni-koeln.de).

AIG7 The 7th International Symposiumon Applied Isotope Geochemistrywill be held in the beautifulcountryside of Stellenbosch, inthe Western Cape of South Africa.Stellenbosch is South Africa’spremier wine district and boastsspectacular scenery, including theworld famous Table Mountain,Cape of Good Hope and CapePoint.

More information will beavailable shortly on the website.Dr. Jodie Miller is the conferencechair, and enquiries should besent to her at aig7@sun.ac.za

The 12th International Symposium on Water–Rock Interaction (WRI-12)

July 31–August 5, 2007Kunming, China

The first circular is out (see website www.wri12.org),and the second circular is due out in

October 2006, with abstracts due in December. A list of conference topics can be found

on the website.

Ron Fuge (Executive Editor ofApplied Geochemistry, the one withthe tie) sitting at the IAGC boothwith Mel Gascoyne. Winners of thedaily draws are posted on the right.

Society News

Société Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie

www.sfmc-fr.org

NEW FACILITY AVAILABLE SOON TO THE EARTHSCIENCES COMMUNITY IN FRANCE SOLEIL, the new third-generation French synchrotron radiation sourcelocated near Paris, will be operational in 2007. This new nationalresearch facility will allow unprecedented opportunities for Earth sci-ences research. Our community has been well identified in the reviewcommittees for beamtime allocation. Two review panels cover our sci-entific areas: Physical chemistry/diluted matter/astrophysics/atmosphere,and Earth sciences (geophysics, geochemistry)/environment/archeology/cultural heritage. This is a consequence of the implication of variousmineralogy and crystallography laboratories in shaping the scientificrequirements at several beamlines.

The ring will cover the entire spectral domain from infrared to hard X-ray,and the available techniques will include diffraction, spectroscopy, andimaging. The design of the beamlines has been driven by the scientificrequirements. Among the 24 beamlines scheduled, seven should be veryattractive to our community.

The AILES-SMIS project concerns two IR stations, one dedicated to far-IRspectroscopy and one to IR microspectroscopy and microscale imaging.These two beamlines will make possible IR investigations in several geo-logical applications, such as studies of interstellar dust particles andidentification of organic matter in fluid inclusions. With the GALAXIESbeamline, XAS spectra of light elements can be obtained in intrusivesample environments, such as in a high-pressure cell, thanks to the highpenetration depth of hard X-rays. The high- pressure beamline, dedicatedto diffraction with hard X-rays, integrates a panel of cells, such as dia-mond-anvil cells with laser heating and large-volume cells. Research inenvironmental sciences will be supported by microXAS beamlines(LUCIA, SAMBA), and by imaging beamlines in the soft and hard X-raydomains (MICROSCOPIUM and STXM beamlines).

For more information, and especially if you are interested in an excitingexperiment using SOLEIL, visit http://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/anglais/

Jean-Louis Hazemann, CNRS Grenoble, France,

jean-louis.hazemann@grenoble.cnrs.fr

FINAL MEETING OF THE RESEARCH GROUP TRANSMETEighty persons participated in the final meeting of the Research GroupTRANSMET (CNRS BRGM and IRD; M. Cathelineau, Director), held atNancy (6–7 July 2007) with the support of SFMC. Several French labo-ratories participate in this group. Their two main scientific objectives are:

1) Understanding the origin of hydrothermal gold concentrations. Fiveapproaches are used: (i) development of analytical techniques for fluidinclusions (LIBS, synchrotron); (ii) concentration and speciation meas-urements of gold both in the vapour and liquid phases using XANESand EXAFS spectroscopy; (iii) experiments on gold solubility in dacitemelts; (iv) determination of the source of gold-bearing fluids usingSIMS lead isotopes on sulfide-bearing minerals; (v) study of the relationshipsbetween granites and gold deposition in the Brues deposit (Galicia, Spain).

2) Understanding the dispersion of metals around natural deposits. Dif-ferent forms of metal transport at low temperature have been investi-gated (dissolved species, particles, colloids). X-ray fluorescence, micro-EXAFS, and micro-XRD spectroscopy using a synchrotron source areessential techniques to precisely locate metals in neoformed minerals(oxides, clay minerals, etc.). Metal complexation and interactions withbacteria was also an important topic. A case study in New Caledoniashowed that chromium is transported both as dissolved species and asparticles during chromite alteration; thermodynamic modeling of thetransformation of Ni-olivine to Ni-goethite was carried out. New com-plexes of uranium with humic acids and functional groups that allowmetal trapping on colloids were discovered.

In conclusion, people from different disciplines (geochemists, geochro-nologists, experimentalists, ore geologists) have come together in thisresearch group to study transport and deposition mechanisms involvedin both the formation of ore deposits, —a permanent need of society—,and in the extraction of metals in the mining industry.

Jean Dubessy,G2R, Nancy, France

Jean.Dubessy@g2r.uhp-nancy.fr

E L E M E N T S DECEMBER 2006387

The first Asian Current Researchon Fluid Inclusions meeting washeld at Nanjing University, 26–28May 2006. The meeting was organ-ized by Professor Pei Ni fromNanjing University and ProfessorZhaolin Li from ZhongshanUniversity, with the support ofthree Chinese laboratories : theState Key Laboratory for MineralResearch (Institute of GeofluidResearch, Nanjing university), theResearch Division of the Earth’sInterior Material and GeofluidGeochemistry Laboratory of theChinese Academy of Sciences, andthe State Key Laboratory of MarginalSea Geology of the ChineseAcademy of Sciences. ACROFI-Igathered scientists from 14countries, including SergeySmirnov, who chairs the IMAWorking Group on FluidInclusions in Minerals.

A total of 163 presentations weremade in seven sessions: (1)hydrothermal processes and oredeposits; (2) igneous processes;(3) metamorphic fluids; (4)sedimentary systems and oilgeology; (5) fluid flow and defor-

mation and fracturing; (6) newdevelopments in analytical andexperimental techniques; (7)thermodynamics of geologicalfluids. The basics of the geochem-istry of fluid inclusions were alsocovered, with the objectives ofgiving an important impulse tofluid inclusion research in Chinaand other Asian countries andfavouring scientific cooperation.

The meeting was attended by manyyoung Chinese scientists or PhDstudents, showing that this fieldof research is expanding in China.It was followed by a field trip tothe Yellow Mountains, a magnifi-cently scenic granite massif shapedby erosion. Nobody will forgetthe sunrise at 5 a.m.! The meetingwas friendly, the organization wasperfect, and the excellent chinesecooking deserves a special mention.Congratulations and many thanksto our Chinese colleagues for thisinitiative. The next ACROFImeeting will be in India.

Jean Dubessy, G2R, Nancy, France

Jean.Dubessy@g2r.uhp-nancy.fr

ACROFI-I MEETING

Society News

E L E M E N T S DECEMBER 2006

Society News

388

International Mineralogical Association

www.ima-mineralogy.org

In the early 1990s, the then-chairman of the CCM embarkedon a plan for the CCM to developan overall classification systemfor minerals, probably the schemecurrently in use by the Interna-tional Centre for Diffraction Data.This proposal sparked an imme-diate response from the then-chairman of the CNMMN whoforcefully expressed the view thatthe proposal was in conflict withthe jurisdiction of the CNMMN

over all matters affecting miner-alogical nomenclature. Followingsome acrimonous debate, whichculminated during the 1994 IMAgeneral meeting in Pisa (Italy),the issue was ultimately resolvedby the IMA deposing the then-chairman of the CCM.

In another area of possible conflict,the CCM has never played,surprisingly, an active part indeveloping or revising classification

schemes for specific mineral groups.This role has, instead, beenassumed from the start of theIMA by the CNMMN, whichestablished special subcommitteesto review the classification andnomenclature of large mineralgroups, such as amphiboles,micas, pyroxenes and zeolites.

In the early 2000s, some officersand members of CCM and CNMMNrenewed efforts to arrive at anecessary standardisation ofmineral groups and theirnomenclature. A joint workingpaper was drafted for this purposeand submitted to both commis-sions. During the 2004 Paris(France) meetings of the twocommissions (on the occasion ofthe 5th Conference on Mineralogyand Museums), it again becameclear that classification ofminerals is inseparable frommineral nomenclature and thatCCM and CNMMN cannotfunction independently on thisissue. Ernest H. Nickel, vice-chairman of the CCM and formervice-chairman of the CNMMN,then came up with the logicalproposal to amalgamate thetwo commissions.

The proposal to merge the twocommissions into a new commis-sion was voted on in 2005 andwas approved with overwhelmingmajorities by the members ofboth commissions. There weremany suggestions for the name ofthe new commission. The namethat was chosen – Commissionon New Minerals, Nomenclature

and Classification – was proposedby Gheorghe Udubasa, whorepresented Romania in bothcommissions. This nameencompasses all fields of interestand activities of the newcommission. And moreover,as pointed out Gheorghe, theacronym CNMNC is symmetric,as befits a mineralogical name.

The IMA council membersexpressed their agreement withthe proposed merger in May2006, and the final decisionwas made during the businessmeeting of the IMA in Kobe(Japan) in July 2006. A play onwords was necessary to obtainthis result because the IMAStatutes and By-Laws do notconsider the possibility of amerger of two commissions, only‘termination’ and ‘initiation’.Closing down both commissionswould have had a seriousdrawback: a new commissionmust be initiated as a workinggroup, which does not have thesame status as a commission. Itwas therefore decided to terminateone commission and to renamethe other commission as theCNMNC.

In order to avoid a heavierworkload for the officers of thenew commission with itsexpanded duties, the CNMNChas decided to add an additionalofficer – a second vice-chairmanwho will specifically be responsi-ble for classification matters.

Ernst A.J. BurkeChairman CNMNC

THE END OF CNMMN AND CCM—LONG LIVE THE CNMNC!

Two commissions of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA),

the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (CNMMN) and

the Commission on Classification of Minerals (CCM), jointly proposed

to the IMA Council in 2005 to merge their activities into a single, new

commission to be named the Commission on New Minerals, Nomen-

clature and Classification (CNMNC). The main reason for this proposal

was the conflicting control over certain tasks in the field of mineralogical

nomenclature.

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