Journal profile · Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chemical Geology
ISSN 0009-2541 · eISSN 1872-6836 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1966
Chemical Geology: CAS Zone 2 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.55; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; review about 125 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 441 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Chemical Geology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Geological and Geochemical Analysis, Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis and Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, together about 34.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Geophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Chemical Geology incorporates the journal previously known as Isotope Geoscience and is the journal affiliated with the European Association of Geochemistry. Chemical Geology publishes geochemical studies of fundamental and broad significance to enhance the understanding of the Earth and the solar system, focusing on chemical and mineralising processes in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary systems, low- and high-temperature mineral-fluid interactions, biogeochemistry, the environment and cosmochemistry.Papers that are field, experimentally, or computationally based are appropriate if they are of broad international interest. The journal generally does not publish papers of mainly regional interest, or which are primarily focused on remediation, applied geochemistry, applied economic geology and pure geochronology.The Journal also welcomes innovative papers dealing with significant analytical advances that are of wide interest in the community and extend significantly beyond the scope of what would be included in the methods section of a standard research paper. This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 13, (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life below water).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geochemistry & Geophysics
Editor-in-chief Sonja AulbachPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 11 in mainland China (about 16%); most named United States 18, Mainland China 11, France 9, Australia 9, Germany 4 (68 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Geological and Geochemical AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences17.9%
- Geochemistry and Elemental AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences8.6%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences8.2%
- Geochemistry and Geologic MappingComputer Science7.8%
- earthquake and tectonic studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences7.3%
- High-pressure geophysics and materialsEarth and Planetary Sciences6%
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth and Planetary Sciences5.2%
- Groundwater and Isotope GeochemistryEarth and Planetary Sciences4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.55LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.41LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- h-index
- 177LetPub ·
- h-index
- 314OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,594OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.32OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 31.06%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 396LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 14,449 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 369 | 153 | 138 |
| 2025 | 441 | 198 | 1,036 |
| 2024 | 495 | 248 | 3,155 |
| 2023 | 429 | 193 | 4,674 |
| 2022 | 407 | 185 | 6,388 |
| 2021 | 457 | 216 | 9,693 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
Too few articlesOnly 4 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 59 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 125 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,550 / EUR 3,320 / GBP 2,840 / JPY 440,310 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,760 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX
- Highlights
- Required
Article types accepted3
- original research paperChemical Geology publishes original research papers.Papers that are field, experimentally, or computationally based are all appropriate providing they are of br…Length not stated
- original research papersChemical Geology publishes original research papers.Length not stated
- standard research paperChemical Geology publishes original research papers.Papers that are field, experimentally, or computationally based are all appropriate providing they are of br…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data statement required at submission Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed, does not count as prior publication Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1966
- ISSN
- 0009-2541
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-6836
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Chemical Geology
What CAS zone is Chemical Geology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Chemical Geology is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Geochemistry & Geophysics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Chemical Geology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.55; CiteScore 6.6, h-index 314.
How long does peer review take at Chemical Geology?
The publisher reports about 125 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Chemical Geology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX; Highlights: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Chemical Geology based?
Of the 68 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 11 (about 16%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (18), Mainland China (11) and France (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Chemical Geology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Chemical Geology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Chemical Geology open access, and what is the APC?
Chemical Geology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .