GeoReM (Geological and Environmental Reference Materials), a database of reference materials of geological and environmental interest, is accessible to the scientific community on the internet. The database was developed at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry[1] in Mainz by Klaus Peter Jochum et al. (2005)[2] and contains published analytical, compiled, and certified values for major and trace element mass fractions and concentrations as well as radiogenic and stable isotope ratios.[3][4] Important metadata about the analytical values (uncertainty, type of uncertainty, method, and laboratory) are given as well as information about sample type, producer, and references.[5]
Currently (state: November 2013) GeoReM contains c. 2800 reference materials and about 32 800 analyses from 6 900 publications and provides access for geochemists to information about reference materials important for their research.[6]
The structure of GeoReM is similar to that of the databases for rocks from oceanic islands, island arcs, continents (GEOROC),[7] ocean floor (PetDB),[8] and the western North America (NAVDAT).[9]
GeoReM offers six different search strategies:[10]
Samples or materials (published values): Ranges and tables of analytical data with the corresponding metadata are provided for all the reference materials together with sample information such as origin, availability, and reference.
Samples (GeoReM preferred values): Currently, preferred values for 44 frequently requested reference materials are given (published certified values and reference values as evaluated by the GeoReM team)
Chemical criteria: Elements and isotope ratios can be selected and the search can be refined by minimum and maximum concentration values, matrices, and physical forms as well as by laboratories and methods.
Chemical criteria based on bibliography: All element concentration and isotope data published in a special year by a certain author in a selected journal can be listed.
Bibliography: It is possible to search by author/coauthor, by journal, by GeoReM number, and by keywords.
Methods and institutions: Methods used in selected institutions and institutions using certain techniques can be listed.
^Jochum, Klaus Peter; Nohl, Uwe; Herwig, Kerstin; Lammel, Esin; Stoll, Brigitte; Albrecht W. Hofman (2005). "GeoReM: A New Geochemical Databas for Reference Materials and Isotopic Standards". Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research. 29 (3): 333–338. doi:10.1111/j.1751-908x.2005.tb00904.x.
^Lipschutz, Michael E.; Wolf, Stephen F.; Culp, F. Bartow; Kent, Adam J.R. (June 15, 2007). "Geochemical and Cosmochemical Materials". Analytical Chemistry. 79 (12): 4250. doi:10.1021/ac070648v.
^Butler, Owen T.; Cook, Jennifer M.; Harrington, Chris F.; Hill, Steve J.; Rieuwerts, John; Miles, Douglas L. (January 22, 2007). "Atomic Spectrometry Update. Environmental Analysis". Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. 22: 206.
^Jochum, Klaus Peter; Nohl, Uwe (2008). "Reference Materials in Geochemistry and Environmental Research and the GeoReM Database". Chemical Geology. 253: 50–53. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2008.04.002.
^Jochum, Klaus Peter; Enzweiler, Jacinta (2014). "Reference Materials in Geochemistry and Environmental Research and the GeoReM Database". In Turekian, Karl; Holland, Heinrich (Ed.)Treatise on Geochemistry. 15: 43–70.
