Optimizing the organization of geochemistry research as a discipline in the National Natural Science Foundation of China

As a traditional discipline in the Department of Earth Sciences (DES) at the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), geochemistry is faced with new opportunities and challenges to serve the top-level strategy of the DES’s “Habitable Earth” program. The development of geochemistry as a discipline should be guided both by the forefront of scientific research and social demands and be driven by the innovation of analytical techniques. Optimizing application codes is of great importance to the organization of geochemistry research. Since the establishment of the NSFC, the application code system for geochemistry (D03) has included five stages, which undergoes a process of continuous improvement and development. Following reform guidance from the NSFC and DES, research to optimize the organization of geochemical disciplines was performed to identify defects of the existing code system and to propose new code scheme. This new scheme has a framework comprising three layers: Fundamental theories, analytical techniques, and applications. Research areas within fundamental theories include isotope geochemistry (D0301), elemental geochemistry (D0302), geochronology (D0303), and organic geochemistry (D0304). Analytical techniques comprise analytical geochemistry (D0305) and experimental and computational geochemistry (D0306). The applications are divided into basic (e.g., cosmochemistry (D0307) and petrogeochemistry (D0308)), resource and energy security (e.g., fossil fuel geochemistry (D0309) and ore deposits and exploration geochemistry (D0311)), and human activities and environments (e.g., surface geochemistry (D0310), biogeochemistry (D0312), atmospheric and marine geochemistry (D0313), and emerging and interdisciplinary geochemistry (D0314)). The objectives of optimizing the codes within the applications area are to develop a theoretical system, expand applications and enhance the use of geochemistry for national needs. Overall, technical methods, interdisciplinary aspects and applications, and emerging areas of research comprise the basic content. The new analytical geochemistry area aims to enhance research on analytical techniques, address problems, and provide critical support for geochemical development. Another new section, surface geochemistry, has a strong focus on geochemical composition, source, and spatiotemporal evolution of constituent units of the Earth surface system at present and throughout geological history. It aims to describe the circulation of materials and conversion of energy between these Earth systems as well as corresponding effects on ecology, resources, and the environment. Surface geochemistry research will investigate the evolution of Earth surface systems under the influence of human activities to provide evidence for future environmental change as well as aid the sustainable development of human society. Atmospheric and marine geochemistry research focuses on material resources and the composition and evolution of the atmosphere and oceans using element analyses, isotopes, and other geochemical methods. The aim is to reveal the processes and mechanisms for materials and energy within the atmosphere, ocean, and surface realms, along with their corresponding effects on climate, the environment, ecology, and resources. This will provide evidence for subsequent research within the programs “Habitable Earth” and “Earth System Science” and aid the sustainable development of human society. The new emerging and interdisciplinary geochemistry theme focuses on the integration of geochemistry with computing technology and biotechnology and will study scientific problems related to the development and needs of modern society. By outlining this overall new research scheme in DES, we hope to stimulate research interest in these areas at the NSFC and build strong geochemistry research teams, which will allow the NSFC to play a significant role in basic research in China.