Exploring the geochemistry and biogeochemistry of modern and ancient sedimentary systems

Abstract

Sedimentary rocks are our window to understand the history and evolution of the surface of our planet. The sedimentary record, although biased by variable preservation conditions and post depositional processes, potentially preserve signals of the interaction between physical, chemical and biological processes that takes place at the interface between the Geosphere, the Hydrosphere/ Atmosphere and the Lithosphere. Geochemistry, integrated with Sedimentology, has become a standard approach to unravel these interactions and to provide some insights for the understanding of how sedimentary geochemistry is preserved within different sedimentary environments. Microbial life is ubiquitous at the Earths surface (Whitman et al., 1998), and has been present throughout our Planets history.