The Beauty of Geology: Art of Geology Mapping in China Over a Century

This open access book contains a collection of rare geologic maps and figures made by Chinese geologists in the last century. Preserved in National Geological Archives of China, these artworks demonstrate the development and innovation of geological mapping technology in China in the past 100 years. The collections are highly scientific and artistic, with most of the hand-drawn maps featured with traditional Chinese painting techniques, while the newer ones being more accurate and embedded with more scientific information with the aid of computer techniques.

Initiation period (1914- 1935): Geologists' artistic accomplishment reflected by hand-drawn maps.- Exploration period (1936- 1954): the first step towards standardization.- Growth period (1955-1994): maps displaying more information and printed in more standard way.- Leaping forward period (1995 to date): moving into digital mapping and digital cartography era.

Chenyang Li, Professorate Senior Engineer, is a pioneer and trailblazer of geological survey informatization in China. He has led teams to set up the first batch of national large geological databases, including China's 1:200,000 Digital Geological Map Spatial Database and the National Mineral Deposit Database, and to construct China Geological Survey's first generation of LAN and Internet. He enjoys a high reputation for his contribution in the field of geological informatization. Recently, he has completed the preparation work for the public versions of the first batch of medium- and large-scale geological databases in China and has been leading the construction of a digital geological archive system for the National Geological Archive of China, making an outstanding contribution to the field of geological data development and utilization.Dr. Liqiong Jia, postdoctoral fellow in petrology, has been engaged in the development and utilization of geological report and data. Capitalizing on rich data resources of National Geoscientific data, she organized exhibitions including the "Historical archives Exhibition of Geology and Mineral Resources for Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of World Anti-Fascist War & Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression", "Exhibition of Internship Reports of China's First Batch of Geological Students One Hundred Years after Graduation", "Exhibition of China's Geologic Maps over the Past One Hundred Years", and others. The exhibitions have generated significant social influence both inside and outside the industry.