Definition
Calcium (Ca) has the atomic number 20 and is an alkaline earth metal with an atomic mass of 40.978 amu. The important role of Ca in biogeochemical processes is based on its chemical versatility, which is related to its highly adaptable coordination geometry, its divalent charge, modest binding energies, fast reaction kinetics, and its inertness in redox reactions (Williams, 1974). Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and the seventh most abundant element in the ocean. It is essential for living organisms, particularly in cell physiology, shell formation, and calcification and hence, is usually the most common metal in many animals.
Calcium isotopes and their application in Biogeochemistry
There are seven Ca isotopes present in nature of which three isotopes (42Ca (0.646%), 43Ca (0.135%) through 44Ca (2.086%)) are stable, one isotope (40Ca (69.941%)) is radiogenic, one isotope (41Ca) is cosmogenic, and two...
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Eisenhauer, A. (2011). Calcium Biogeochemistry. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_40
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