The official publication of the Association is the Journal, Applied Geochemistry. The title Applied Geochemistry
was chosen for two reasons:
- it reflects the fact that the science of geochemistry is mature, and its application to a wide variety of problems can benefit all mankind;
- it is a sister journal and complementary in scope to the more theoretically orientated Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
The first issue of Applied Geochemistry was published as a combined January/February issue in 1986. Today, the journal is published monthly. The first and second issues were dedicated to F. Earl Ingerson. Earl Ingerson played a major role in the founding of The Geochemical Society in 1955 and was that society's first president. He subsequently recognized a need for an international geochemical society and was the driving force in the founding of the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry. He served as its first president.
The name Applied Geochemistry implies that every paper in the journal has some practical application to an aspect of human endeavour, such as the search for resources and their upgrading, preservation of the environment, improving of agriculture or increasing knowledge with respect to human health. No field of geochemistry is excluded because all fields can be applied under given circumstances; therefore, papers with inorganic, organic and isotopic application are welcome, provided they meet the above criterion.
Topics for Applied Geochemistry include, but are not limited to:
- Protection of the environment from pollution through the use of geochemical knowledge;
- The broad spectrum of hydrogeochemical problems;
- Agricultural aspects of geochemistry;
- Geochemical issues of global change;
- Medical geochemistry;
- Geochemical issues related to land-use change;
- The search for energy resources (petroleum, natural gas, oil shales, tar sands, coal, geothermal energy and uranium);
- The search for mineral resources; and
- The upgrading of energy and mineral resources where there is a direct geochemical application.
APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY : IAGC'S JOURNAL: A STATUS REPORT
Applied Geochemistry is in robust good health. In 2006 in volume 21, 145 full papers were published in 2300 pages. Two special issues one titled "Frontiers in Analytical Geochemistry - An IGC Perspective" and the second "Mercury: Distribution , Transport, and Geochemical and Microbial Tranformations from Natural and Anthropogenic Sources", were published. The second of these arose from the 2005 Goldschmidt meeting in Moscow Idaho. In addition two "half issue" specials were included, one on "Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Acid Mine Drainage and Metalliferous Minewastes" - again arising from the 2005 Goldschmidt meeting, and another on "Archaeological Geochemistry" arising from the EGU meeting in Vienna.
To date in volume 22, 108 papers have been published in 1567 pages up to issue 7. In volume 22 two special issues have been published. One entitled "Halogens and Their Isotopes in Marine and Terrestrial Systems", yet another deriving from the 2005 Goldschmidt, and a second "Selected papers from the 7th International Conference on Acid Deposition, Prague, Czech Republic, 12-17 June, 2005.
On the 1st of November the journal changed its submissions policy. From that date authors who wished to do so could submit electronically, while paper copy submissions are still acceptable. In the 10 months prior to this date 208 manuscripts were received. In the period November 1 - June 30 166 manuscripts have been submitted electronically and 71 as paper copies. While this appears to be a very healthy submission rate, it is perhaps pertinent to point out that of the 166 electronically submitted manuscripts 67 have been rejected, most without review, 11 have been accepted, 22 are being revised and the rest are under consideration. Thus of the submissions with decisions 67% have been rejected! I feel that this is a rather worrying aspect of electronic submission - it seems to encourage authors to submit manuscripts on a chance that they will be acceptable. Of the 71 paper copy submissions, to date only 8 have been rejected.
Electronic submission has not been without its problems and several Associate Editors have expressed their concerns regarding its inflexibility. Elsevier are currently changing the system to make it somewhat easier to use.