A New Round of Global Geochemical Mapping: Opportunity and Challenge to China

Since the projects of “International Geochemical Mapping (IGCP259)” and “Global Geochemical Baseline (IGCP360)” were met with approval by UNESCO in 1988, decisive contributions of working out the methodological guidance and the technical standard of global geochemical mapping have been made by China and Europe. Though demonstrations have been made by China and Europe through carrying out the projects of “Environmental Geochemical Monitoring Network and Dynamic Geochemical Mapping (EGMON)” and “FOREG geochemical baseline mapping”, respectively, the expectation of acquiring a general picture of global geochemistry in 10 years has not yet been realized. Geochemists from China and Norway are now deliberating, through International Association of Hydrological Sciences/International Commission on Continental Erosion (IAHS/ICCE), about a major international cooperative project on “Global Geochemical Mapping and Sediment-Bound Flux of Major World Rivers”, on carrying out a new round global geochemical mapping, and planning to start working first on the Arctic region under the project of the Year of Polar (IPY317). The practical plan for the global geochemical mapping is based on the “Draft of Sampling Plan of Floodplain Sediments” for the global geochemical mapping suggested by China and the “Draft of Sampling Plan of Overbank Sediments in Deltas” suggested by Norway, thereby further strengthening the advantages of Chinese methodology in geochemical mapping. After analyzing the opportunities and challenges to China, this article suggests that the competent authorities of science and technology should take the initiative of supporting the new round global geochemical mapping.