What is Biogeochemistry?

Biogeochemistry is a broad and diverse field at the intersection between biology, geology and chemistry that has largely developed as the link between geochemistry and ecology. However, there is rapid diversification within biogeochemistry, driven by genomic, theoretical and analytical revolutions, which makes biogeochemical perspectives relevant to many of the emerging disciplines of 21 st century science. Definitive answers to questions from fields as diverse as astrobiology, endocrinology, chemical processing, and urban ecology may require the type of truly interdisciplinary approach and experience that characterize biogeochemistry. Biogeochemistry employs every available theoretical, experimental, field, and analytical method that can shed light on the complex, interconnected processes that constitute the environment. The questions being asked do not have simple answers, but rigorous quantitative methods are helping researchers to visualize complex systems, and are revealing the underlying mechanisms that make life possible and sustainable.