Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Title	Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Discipline	Geochemistry; Cosmochemistry
Abbreviation	Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta
Publisher	Pergamon Press; Elsevier
History	1950–present
Frequency	Biweekly

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research in geochemistry and cosmochemistry, with emphasis on chemical processes in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. Established in the mid-20th century, the journal connects research communities associated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich and serves readers linked to National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, Smithsonian Institution, US Geological Survey, and Max Planck Society.

History

The journal began in 1950 amid postwar expansion of research at institutions such as Carnegie Institution for Science, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Johns Hopkins University and arose alongside developments at Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Chemistry, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and CNRS. Early editorial boards included scientists affiliated with Stanford University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography and were influenced by programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. By the 1970s the journal’s operations shifted from small editorial offices to larger publishers, connecting with Pergamon Press, later acquired by Elsevier, and interfacing with societies such as Geological Society of America, European Geosciences Union, American Geophysical Union, and International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry.

Scope and subject matter

The journal covers isotope geochemistry, trace element geochemistry, petrology, mineralogy, fluid-rock interaction, mantle geochemistry, crustal evolution, sedimentary geochemistry, organic geochemistry, planetary materials, meteoritics, and early solar system chronology, engaging researchers from University of Tokyo, Peking University, Australian National University, University of Toronto, and University of Buenos Aires. Papers often reference datasets and missions from Voyager program, Mars Science Laboratory, Apollo program, Hayabusa, and Rosetta (spacecraft), and connect theoretical frameworks developed at California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich. Interdisciplinary links with departments at MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and Yale University appear regularly.

Editorial organization and peer review

The editorial structure comprises an editor-in-chief, associate editors, and an international editorial board drawn from University of Copenhagen, University of Oslo, University of Helsinki, Universität Göttingen, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, and Università di Padova. Peer review procedures follow standards promoted by Committee on Publication Ethics, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, Council of Science Editors, and corporate practices at Elsevier. Manuscript handling uses online systems similar to platforms adopted by Nature Research, Science (journal), PLOS, Wiley-Blackwell, and Springer Nature, and reviewers are typically drawn from research groups at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Godard Space Flight Center, and European Southern Observatory.

Publication details and impact

Published on a biweekly schedule, the journal reports metrics tracked by Clarivate Analytics, Scopus, Google Scholar, CrossRef, and DOI system and has influenced citation networks centered on work from University of California, Santa Cruz, Brown University, University of Edinburgh, Freie Universität Berlin, and University of Bern. Special issues and thematic volumes have been organized in collaboration with conferences such as Goldschmidt Conference, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, International Meteor Conference, and Cosmo-chemistry Meetings. The journal’s editorial policies align with open science initiatives promoted by Plan S, Wellcome Trust, Horizon 2020, National Science Foundation, and European Research Council.

Notable papers and contributions

Seminal papers published in the journal include isotope system studies foundational to radiometric geochronology that built on methods developed at University of Chicago, Caltech, MIT, Harvard University, and University of Cambridge; cosmochemical analyses of meteorites linked to collections at Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, Vienna, National Museum of Natural History (France), Field Museum of Natural History, and Natural History Museum, Los Angeles County; and geochemical modeling contributions related to mantle convection theories associated with researchers at Princeton University, ETH Zurich, Columbia University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Minnesota. High-impact articles have informed missions by NASA, European Space Agency, JAXA, Roscosmos, and ISRO and have been cited alongside work appearing in Nature Geoscience, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Journal of Geophysical Research, Chemical Geology, and Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major databases and services including Science Citation Index, Scopus, GeoRef, Chemical Abstracts Service, Academic Search, Dimensions, and ProQuest. Library holdings and catalog entries list the journal in collections maintained by Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, and National Library of China, and metadata interoperability is ensured through standards from International DOI Foundation, Open Archives Initiative, ORCID, and Crossref.

Category:Academic journals