A Brief History of Early Regional Geological Survey in China

(Consultant of Geological Society of China Geological History Professional Committee)

First, the geological survey of ancient scholars in China

In the regional geological survey of China, Xu Hongzu (1587 ~ 164 1), a geologist in Ming Dynasty, should be the first geological survey in southwest China, which mainly focuses on hiking, especially systematically investigating karst landforms and hot springs. It left us a valuable scientific heritage and laid the foundation of cave science in China.

Second, the investigation of foreign geologists in China and its report reference.

The use of modern geoscience methods in geological survey in China originated from foreigners. 1840 after the opium war, the great powers sent earth scientists to China in various ways, among which the most influential ones were:

(1) kingsmill, England (1837 ~ 19 10), 186 1 came to China, and has been to Hongkong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hankou and other places, and has a good knowledge of mineralogy and sinology. 1887 was hired by the governor of Shandong Province to survey the northern section of the Grand Canal. Therefore, the loess in China was investigated and studied, advocating the theory of water formation and opposing the theory of wind formation. After returning to China, he made a special report on "Geology of China" at the Geological Society of London on February 23rd, 1888, which had certain influence.

(2) David (1826 ~ 1900), a French botanist, came to China in 1862. He traveled mainly in the mainland, visited eastern Tibet and Mongolia, and collected a large number of animal, plant and mineral specimens, all of which were presented to the Paris Museum, and published Travel Notes of China and Travel Notes of Mongolia.

(3) David (J. P. Armand, 1826 ~ 1900) came to China on 1926. His main activity areas are eastern Tibet and Mongolia, and he has collected a large number of fossil specimens of animals and plants, some of which are new species and genera, which have certain research value and are all donated to museums.

(4) American geologist Pang Peili (1837 ~ 1923), 1863 came to China, 1865 returned to the United States, and 1866 published the Geological Survey Report of China. During his investigation, he found that the eastern coastal mountains in China strike NNE—SSW, which is a very unique phenomenon from the perspective of mountain structure. Inspired by the concept of "Huangling anticline", he named this tectonic line Sinian Line, also known as "Sinian Ascending System", which created a special term in China's geological tectonics and had far-reaching influence (see Fengming Wu's1840 ~191~ for details).

(5)1Richthofen, a German who came to China again in 868 (1833 ~ 1905), carefully designed seven inspection routes covering China 18 provinces (regions) and returned from 1872 to/kloc-. He introduced the word "Sinian System" into the stratigraphic system of China and established the "Sinian System". "Wutai System" has a far-reaching influence on the study of paleostratigraphy in China (see Fengming Wu: Geology of China written by a German, Geological Exploration Herald, June 5438+1October 65438+1October 0 1 2005).

(6) American geologist Richard Willis (1857 ~ 1949), 1903 ~ 1904 did geological survey in China,1907 ~19/kloc.

(7) Luochuan, an Austro-Hungarian geologist, made a geological survey in China from 1877 to 1880, and published "Schnier's Scientific Investigation Report on East Asia" from 1893 to 1899, with three volumes (see Fengming Wu: "Early Geology of China".

(8) Russian geographer and Soviet geologist Obruchev (1863 ~ 1956) came to China for four times from 1892, which had a great influence on the geological research in northeast and northwest China, and published From Chaktu to Yining, An Overview of Qilian Mountain and Central Asia and North China.

(9) Sven Hedin, a Swedish geographer and geologist (1865 ~ 1952) visited China five times on 1885 ~ 1930, in which he presided over the "Sino-Swedish Northwest Scientific Investigation Group", covering Tibet and Xinjiang in the northwest of China. He has published Crossing Asia (1893 ~ 1897), Tibet (1898), Crossing the Himalayas, Discovery and Exploration of Tibet (1909) and Autobiography of the Explorer (60. 190 1 year, by chance, the site of the ancient city of Loulan, which had been sleeping for a long time, was discovered, and fragments of bamboo slips, coins, oriental silk, western woolen goods, wood carvings and other pieces in the Hellenistic art style of Central Asia were unearthed (see Fengming Wu: Entrepreneurship, Development and Contribution, China Mining News, No.65438, February 2007).

(10) The German geographer Stein (1862 ~ 1943) visited the northwest region in 1900 and 1906, and in191.

(1 1) The Japanese include Nana Ogawa Zhuoji, Yokoyama Yojiro, and Oda Vinjiro, among which there are

1) Manjiro Ishii came to China for three times to conduct geological investigations in the Yangtze River and Hanshui River basins.

The first time was in 19 12, in Daye, Yichang and Three Gorges areas;

The second time was from Hankou, Yuezhou, Changsha and Zijiang Valley 19 13 to1914;

The third time in Yingcheng 19 15, Hubei-Anhui Border Region;

19 10 published the survey report of the Geological Theory of Chu and Shu Mountains.

2) Seijiro Noda came to China in 19 12 to conduct geological survey in South China in the name of Tokyo Earth Science Association. The survey report was released on 19 17, with the title "Geological Survey Report of zhina", which consists of two volumes, including the Three Gorges area and southeastern Hubei (Daye and Yangxin areas). Igneous rocks in the survey area are divided into granite and granite porphyry. Hubei is divided into five structural regions: northern Hubei, Yichang, western Hubei, central Hubei and eastern Hubei, and the geological structural characteristics of each region are expounded respectively. The geological map of South Branch was compiled in 1920.

(12) In addition, 10 "scientific investigation team" came to China for geological and mineral exploration.

1)1866 ~1868 French Confucianism-bolt Vietnamese delegation entered China;

2) 1877 ~ 1880 Hungarian scientific investigation team;

3) 1892 "Mongolian and China investigation team" led by Russian potalin;

4) 1893 Luo Burovski's Adventures in Central Asia;

5) 1895 French organization "China Economic Investigation Mission";

6) 1899 Russian scientific investigation team in central Asia;

7)1899 ~1901year Mongolia-Tibet investigation group;

8) 1900 Central Asia West China Expedition (Stan);

9)1921~1935, Kanter Asia Epede, a natural history of Musem in the United States, was opposed by domestic academic circles because of unequal treaties, and only visited Mongolia;

10)1923 ~1935 China and Sweden jointly formed a Chinese-Swiss scientific research team, with Sven Hedin (1865 ~ 1952) as the head of the Swiss side and Academician Yuan Fuli as the head of the Chinese side. The Sino-Swiss Expedition Report was published in Sweden, and more than 50 volumes were published in the 1980s, and the achievements of the delegation have been specially studied.

(13) Several key universities hired geologists from China;

1)1917 ~18 years, Peking University hired American geologist G. Adams to teach geology, mineralogy, mineral deposit science, etc. , and donated 19 17 with 60 copies. 1920, American geologist A.W. Grabao (1870 ~ 1946) was hired as the department head to teach paleontology and stratigraphy, which trained a large number of outstanding paleontological talents for China.

2) Beiyang University hired an American, N.E. Drucker, to publish "On Geological Composition and Surface Change" in the Journal of Geosciences after teaching;

3) 1935, Central University hired Hungarian geologist H. Backes as a professor of geotectonics and sedimentology to go to Sichuan for geological investigation;

4) Shanxi University hired E. T. Nystrom, Southeast University hired Swiss scholar A. Parejas, and Guangzhou University hired O. Jacke.

The author has published a special article on foreigners' geological investigation in China in China Science and Technology Historical Materials 1990, so I won't repeat it here.

Thirdly, China scholars initiated the geological survey in China.

Although China's geological career started late, China geologists who started the geological career were all trained by famous geologists from famous universities in western countries. They all have high theoretical level and geological practical experience, and "a teacher makes a master" has laid a good foundation for the development of early geological survey in China.

(1) Kuang Rongguang (1863 ~ 1965), the earliest student studying in the United States in the late Qing Dynasty, went to the United States in 1872 to study geology and mining at lafayette Public School, and was recalled in 188 1 year. After returning to China, he became the chief engineer in Kaiping Coal Mine and Lincheng Coal Mine. 19 10, the Geological Map of Zhili (1∶ 2.5 million), the Mineral Map of Zhili and the Stone Monument of Zhili were published in Geoscience, which is the first paleontological map in China (see Fengming Wu: Paleontology and Stratigraphy of China).

② Yang Tsang Woo (1862 ~ 1939) graduated from the Royal Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in London. He was one of the children of 120 who was recalled in 188/year.186 was re-sent to Britain by Li Hongzhang.18. After returning to China, he worked in Kaiping Coal Mine and Jehol Silver Mine. 1895 was sent to coal mines and copper mines near Nanjing for geological work. 1897 was sent to Zhejiang for geological and mineral exploration. When he was ordered to explore the Daye silver mine in Hubei Province, he tried to adopt advanced new technology, and proposed that silver mines could be mined below the line depth of 30 feet, which achieved good results and advocated adopting the western method.

He has served as chief engineer and director of mining bureau in the above mining areas, which shows that he has modern theoretical knowledge of geological smelting and the ability and level of solving practical problems.

Others include Kuang Bingguang (1863 ~? ), etc.

(3) 1898- 1809 When Lu Xun and Gu Lang were studying geology at Nanjing Road Mine School, they worked as interns in nearby coal mines and collected some colorful rocks and minerals, which were kept in Lu Xun Museum (see: Introduction to Lu Xun's three major geological works, Series 1 of Geological History, 65438+).

(4) Zhang (1877 ~ 195 1), one of the founders of China's geological cause, joined the Geology Department of Imperial University in Tokyo in 1909, and studied under the famous Fujita Bunjiro and Yokoyama Yojiro. 19 10, in order to write my graduation thesis, I used the information collected during my vacation to conduct geological investigation and research in Fuyang, Lin 'an, Yuqian and Tianmu Mountain in Hangzhou, and wrote my graduation thesis "Geology of Hangzhou, Zhejiang". The original text is an English manuscript, which has a page of 145 in Tokyo University of Science, with topographic maps, rock micrographs and paleontology. Academician Huang, a famous geologist in China, has a book, which he highly praised: "It can be used as a model for early regional geological investigation and research in China" (see: Zhang, pioneer of China's geological cause, Historical Materials of China Science and Technology, vol. 15,No. 1 period; Biography of Zhang, Biography of Modern Scientists in China, Volume 3, 1994).

(5) Ding Wenjiang (1887 ~ 1936), one of the founders of geology in China, was admitted to Cambridge University in England in 1906, and transferred to Glasgow University in 1908 to study geology (main subject). Take the Yunnan-Vietnam train into Yunnan to Kunming, take the Yunnan-Guizhou-Hunan postal route, cross Malong, Zhanyi and Pingyi, enter Guizhou, pass through Yizikong, Maoerhe, Langdai and Anshun, and reach Guiyang. From Guiyang via Longli, Guiding, Qingping, Ping Huang, Shibing and Zhenyuan. Along the way, he measured the sketch with a compass and the altitude with a barometer. He conducted the first geological survey in remote areas and obtained rock specimens, pictures and fossil specimens.

19 13 years, when he was in charge of the first school in China to train geological talents-Geological College, he paid special attention to field practice and proposed to go to field practice once a week as a compulsory course. At that time, teachers such as Zhang, Weng and Ding Wenjiang led the geological survey of Xishan and its surrounding areas in Beijing. Under the guidance of teachers, they collectively measured 1: 65438.

In the same year, he and Germans F. sorgue and Wang Xibin went to Taihang Mountain area and along Zheng Tai Road to carry out geological survey, filled in the geological map along the way, carried out systematic geological work, and later compiled the Report on Geology and Mineral Resources along Zheng Tai Railway.

19 14 was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce to conduct geological survey in eastern Yunnan. In a year, he traveled all over eastern Yunnan and northern Yunnan, focusing on an old tin mine and a copper mine in Dongchuan. The geological map of Gejiu county, the general geological map near Gejiu and the geological summary table of Gejiu tin mine area were measured. Published monograph "Yunnan Dongchuan Copper Mine" and wrote "Opinions on Improving Dongchuan Mining Administration"; After crossing the Jinsha River, the geological and mineral resources in Huining and Huili areas of Sichuan were investigated. As we all know, the border areas of Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces are very difficult with complex terrain and harsh natural conditions. Collect a large number of fossils and specimens every day and draw various maps. At the same time, the stratum in southwest China has also been deeply studied, and it is considered that Miaogaoshan stratum in Qujing, Yunnan Province was the only stratum that could be called Silurian in China at that time. The results of this trip corrected the wrong judgment of De Prade, France, and laid the foundation for establishing the stratigraphic system in eastern Yunnan. 1922 Presented the paper "Structural Geology of East Yunnan" to 13 International Geological Congress. In this paper, Zhao Long Mountain Range, Yangtze Arc Red Plateau, Lunan Mountain Range, Yangtze Metamorphic Complex, Dongchuan Erosion Plain, Niulanjiang Fold Mountain Range, Xuanwei Plateau, East longitude 104 border mountain range and Luoping Plateau are listed.

During the period of 1928, entrusted by the Ministry of Railways and invited by the Guangxi government, the Sichuan-Guangzhou railway route was explored, and the mineral resources in Guangxi were explored in a wide range, including the north-central part, with emphasis on Hechi, Nandan tin mine and the coal fields around Qianjiang, with special emphasis on the investigation and study of geological structure and stratigraphic system. The publication and practical investigation of Xu Xiake's Travels, edited by him, is known as Xu Xiake in the 20th century.

1929, a force organized by geological survey conducted geological survey again in southwest China, with Ding Wenjiang as the commander in chief, with strong strength, including Huang, Zhao Yaceng, Li Chunyu, Ceng Shiying, Tan Xichou,.

The inspectors set out from Beijing to Chongqing, passed through Tongzi to Zunyi westbound, then eastward to Guiyang, passed through Duyun and Dushan, entered Nandan, Guangxi, and returned to Guiyang through Pingdan. This geological survey is the largest, the last of his three frontier surveys and the last geological survey in his life.

Zhao Yaceng (1898 ~ 1929), a young geologist, was killed by bandits in Fudesheng Inn in Zhaotong County on June 5438+0929+0 15. See Holding Zhao No.7.

"Thirty books have been waiting for you,

Zhao is even more incoherent.

How to swallow a thousand pounds of bones,

Into the day south Wan Li dust.

1929 The purpose, contents and achievements of this expedition were expounded in a letter to Hu Shi on August 3, 1929. The letter said: "I went to the southwest this time with several wishes. The first is to link the work in Guangxi with that in Yunnan-I was in Guangxi last year and made a very important discovery ... This discovery also proves a large part of what I observed in Yunnan before. To solve all kinds of problems thoroughly, we must go to Guizhou, where the two provinces border. Qin-Yu Railway is the only way to get through the traffic between Sichuan and Guangdong, which is also the only way to solve the economic problems in southwest China. ..... I think the only way is in Guizhou. ..... The railway only goes halfway up the mountain, and there are valuable coal fields in Dading and Qianxi ... Take this opportunity to fundamentally solve the Qin-Yu route and make a concrete plan for the traffic and economy in the southwest ... "(See Fengming Wu, the pioneer of geoscience during the New Culture Movement, China Mining News, June 3, 2000).

(The author also published Ding Wenjiang's "The Story of a Debate between Science and Metaphysics in the New Culture Movement in China" as the leader of scientism).

In the teaching process of1913 ~1916, the Institute of Geology attaches great importance to the field geological investigation. Under the guidance of teachers, 2 1 ~ 22 students traveled all over the country for three years, respectively, and obtained a lot of geological data. The Notes on Junior Students' Education in Geological Research Institute edited by teachers Zhang and Weng 19 16 was published by Zhonghua Book Company. This is the result of geological survey conducted by the first batch of geologists trained by ourselves in China, and it is also the first regional geological survey report, which shows the level of China's geological undertakings in the pioneering period.

The book *** 6 chapters:

The first chapter reflects the scope of investigation and research with charts;

Chapter 2 Stratigraphic system: from Archean (residual), Proterozoic (residual), Cambrian to Tertiary (Paleogene) and Quaternary;

The third chapter discusses igneous rocks and their ages;

The fourth chapter is structure, mainly coalfield structure;

The fifth chapter, minerals, mainly coal and iron ore, especially discusses the theory of metal mineralization in the conclusion, which highlights the high level of editors;

The sixth chapter is the conclusion, summarizing the strata in the north and south, the changes of geological history in different periods, and the relationship between minerals and geology in China.

The article is accompanied by the preface of two editors, which expounds the course of students' hard study and hard field practice for three years. The Record of Junior Students' Teaching in Geological Research Institute is compiled from more than 90 geological survey reports from all over the country, which is the crystallization of three-year field geological survey by all teachers and students.

Wang Zhuquan, Xie, Ye, Tan Xichou, Zhou Zanheng, Zhu Tinghu, Li Jie, Xu Weiman, Xu Yuanmo, Liu, Lv Zuyin, Tong Buying, Tang Zaiqin, Ma, Liu and Zhao Rujun participated in the geological practice. Among them, 1 1 ~ 13 people were assigned to the geological survey institute, which enriched the strength of the institute and enabled it to carry out the national geological survey in a planned way. During the 33 ~ 36 years after the founding of New China, the geological survey in China has achieved remarkable results (see Fengming Wu: "See below for details).

1996, in order to celebrate its 80th anniversary, the Historical Review of Geological Survey (1916 ~1950)-Historical Comments and Contributions was published, which is an authoritative work. From the book, we can learn about the historical process of the establishment and development of geological undertakings in China and the entrepreneurial spirit of the older generation of geologists.