Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education

With the approval of the Ministry of Education in May 2011, Nanjing Universityhad made the preparation of the setting of “The Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, Ministry of Education(KLSG) on the foundation of the Institute of Surficial Geochemistry established in 1999.The Laboratory has been open to public use after it passed the inspection by the Ministry of Education in April 2014.

The Laboratory is affiliated to the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering of Nanjing University, depending onthe two disciplines of “Geochemistry” (National Key Discipline) and “Hydrology and Water Resource”（National Support for Key Discipline). Aiming at the scientific frontier of global environment changes,the Laboratory focuses on meeting the national key demands, using the methodology of the environmental geochemistryon the Earth surface. Researches to be carried out include studies on the fundamental theory, methodology, and application of the processes and mechanism in “the critical zone” of the Earth. The general research direction of the lab includes: investigation and characterization of the physical, chemical, and biological processes in the critical zone by studying mineral-water interface and applying them to understanding global climate change and environmental problems; illustration of controlling mechanisms of material release-transport-transformation (cycle) and their role in maintaining the ecological balance.

Ongoing research projects of the Laboratoryfall into five categories:

Geochemistry of dust system;

Hydrogeochemistry;

Soil geochemistry;

Biogeochemistry and organic geochemistry;^^

Geochemistry of carbon sequestration.  

The Laboratory is staffed with 38 faculty members, among which 17 are professors, 15 associate professors and 6 lecturers and engineers and 34 of whom are Doctors. What’s more, there are 2 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4 winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (3 A class and one B class), one Cheung Kong Scholar professor, one member of the “Global Experts Program”, 2 member of the “National Talents Program”, 1 member of “National Youth Talents Program”, two “Cross-Century Talents” of the Ministry of Education, 1 winner of the National Science Fund forExcellent Young Scholars,and two members of the “Climbing Scholars Support Plan” of Nanjing University (B class).