Seeking Copper In The Mountains: 321 Geological Team Mineral Exploration And Geological Research History (1952-1980)

Geological team is an important strength in modern geology and mining of China, which also played a significant role in China’s economic construction and the development of mineral science, because it not only took the assignment of mineral exploration, but also devoted to mineral science research. However, the history of geological teams have not been discussed thoroughly and systematically. This article will try to compensate this insufficiency through describing the first thirty years history of the 321 geological team. Based on rich geology archival materials and work reports, and combined with the participants’ oral interviews, this study firstly take a broad overview of the history of 321 team’s mineral exploration and research development and divide it into three different phrases. The achievements in prospecting, research and personnel training and the main characters of geological teams’ works in every phrase have been summarized as below:The first phrase is the initial period of the 321 team, which is also the period of team construction, copper exploration of Tongguanshan 铜官山 and geological general survey in the north area of the Yangtze River. Every work of 321 team was in the learning and exploration stage because of lacking experience. Since the geological materials were also limited, research works had to emphasis on intuitive definition of single ore deposit.The second phrase begins within the "Great Leap Forward" to the eve of the "Cultural Revolution", during which the team’s geological works achieved great developments which contained the finding of two important copper ore deposits, Shizishan 狮子山 and Fenghuangshan 凤凰山, the research of regional tectonics of Tongling 铜陵, and the work of 1:50000 regional geological map. Owing to the exploration works of various ore deposits, 321 team accumulated a wealth of geological dates, based on which the geological science study of the entire area of Tongling 铜陵 has been carried out except for the single ore deposit. Consequently, the research works in this stage were more basic and theoretical than the first phrase.The third phrase is the routine development period from the "Cultural Revolution" to the "Reform and Opening". During this stage, the team not just completed the exploration works of Laoyaling 老鸦岭 and Dongguashan 冬瓜山, but proposed a theory of stratabound skarn ore. Such mutually promoting and reinforcing between prospecting practice and mineral research reflected the features and benefits of the science research carried out by geological teams.While summarizing the history of the three phrases, this study also analyzed the 321 team’s operating mechanism and characteristics in specific historical contexts, and then discussed the relations among geological survey, science research and personnel training. Hence comes the following views:Firstly, unlike professional research institutions who use tasks to promote discipline construction under the contemporary historical conditions, the research activities of geological teams were driven directly by mineral exploration missions, which combined the missions and researches closer. Additionally, the achievements can be able to guide the practice without disturbing the team’s basic geological research and theoretical exploration and played a role in the national geological research system.Secondly, science research beyond the work reports was considerably freed from strictly planned prospecting works which appeared in spontaneous study and free subjects. This feature was also contingent on the research abilities and interests of the team’s leader.Thirdly, due to historical reasons, the geological teams trained a large number of urgently needed talents. The intimate connation between works and practices was benefit to the accumulation of practical skills and experiences along with the research abilities.Finally, the historical experience of the 321 team provides inspirations for such problems as modern industrial technology innovation, new ways of personnel training and so on.