98 New Data on Minerals. 2013. Vol. 48 GEOCHEMICAL MINERALOGY BY VLADIMIR IVANOVICH VERNADSKY AND THE PRESENT TIMES Boris Ye. Borutzky Fersman Mineralogical museum, RAS, Moscow,
[email protected] The world generally believes that “the science of science” about natural matter – mineralogy – became obsolete and was replaced by the new science – geochemistry, by V.I. Vernadsky. This is not true. Geochemistry was and is never separated from mineralogy – its fundament. Geochemistry studies behaviour of chemical elements main- ly within the minerals, which are the basic form of inorganic (lifeless) substance existence on the Earth conditions. It also studies redistribution of chemical elements between co-existing minerals and within the minerals, by vari- able conditions of mineral-forming medium during the mineral-forming processes. On the other hand, owing to V.I. Vernadsky, mineralogy became geochemical mineralogy, as it took in the ideas and methods of chemistry, which enables to determine chemical composition, structure and transformation of minerals during the certain geological processes in the Earth history. 1 photo, 20 references. Keywords: Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky, mineralogy, geochemistry, geology, physics of solids, mineral-forming process, paragenesis, history of science. Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky’s remark- into several stages. Forming his personality of able personality and his input to the Earth sci- scientist-mineralogist and the main input into ences, first of all, to mineralogy – changing it reformation of Russian mineralogy and creation from the trendy mineral collecting hobby, of mineralogical science in Russia are related observation of mineral beauty, art and culture with the early, “Moscow” stage (1988–1909). areas into the mineralogical science, are not to At that time, on the recommendation of profes- be expressed.