Kinetics of Global Geochemical Cycles

Geochemical systems of the Earth’s surface and interior are often studied by means of conceptual models that represent them as geochemical or biogeochemical cycles of chemical elements. Such models usually address the various geological, geochemical, geophysical, and biological processes within the cycle or system, and they focus on the model’s ability to evaluate the system changes at different time scales, often extending from the remote past into the future. The time dimension of changes taking place in the different parts of the Earth System makes it necessary to understand the mechanisms and rates of the numerous processes that control the element interactions in geochemical systems of different physical structures and degrees of complexity.