Introduction of the International Research Centre on Global-Scale Geochemistry under the auspice of UNESCO

The International Centre on Global-scale Geochemistry(ICGG) is a research organization to provide systematic, longterm and authoritative global geochemical observation data for sustaining natural resources and environments in the world.

Group photo of the ICGG Governing Board and Scientific Committee in Langfang, China.

The ICGG was approved, as a Category 2 Centre of UNESCO, by the 37th UNESCO General Conference,formally approved by the China Government State Council and supported by the China Geological Survey in September 2015. The ICGG was officially inaugurated on the 12th of May 2016. The ICGG office building is hosted within the premises of the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, at 84 Jinguang Road, Langfang, Hebei Province,China. The ICGG is guided and overseen by the Governing Board and consulted with the Scientific Committee.

1. The main objectives of ICGG

(1) To foster knowledge and technology of global-scale geochemistry for sustainable global development in the management of natural resources and the environment.

(2) To document the global concentration and distribution,baselines and changes of chemical elements in the Earth surface for monitoring the environment, for discovering mineral resources, for improving the efficiency of agriculture,and for studying the behavior of elements in the food chain and their health effects on humans and other biota.

(3) To educate and train postgraduate students, scientists and engineers on the basis of up-to-date global-scale geochemical knowledge and mapping, and to provide technical assistance to developing countries.

(4) To promote equal access for basic services and knowledge-sharing, and to create bridges among the scientific community, decision-makers and the general public in the field of global-scale geochemical data.

2. Research Programs of ICGG

2.1. International Cooperation project on mapping the Chemical Earth

Mapping the Chemical Earth is an international scientific cooperation program to map the Earth’s genome of chemical elements, to document concentration and distribution of all naturally occurring chemical elements on the Earth. The data will be managed by the Digital Chemical Earth software, a tool that will be acted as a computer-generated virtual globe of geochemical information and allow people to access big geochemical data through Internet. The data will serve sustainable development of global natural resources and environments.

The establishment of global geochemical baselines of 76 elements based on 20000 network grids for quantifying global environmental changes and natural resources.

The assessment of global mineral resources based on 20000 baselines data of 50 elements.

The development of an internet-based “Chemical Earth”platform to provide services to the public with “Big Data” and knowledge of global-scale geochemistry.

2.2. Compilation of “Belt and Road” and other Geochemical Atlases

The Centre shall conduct geochemical mapping for mineral resources and environmental protection cooperation with the “Belt and Road” countries on a win-win basis. The three tasks to be undertaken in the six-year period are:

China-Mongolia-Russia-Kazakhstan Geochemical Atlas:A geochemical atlas at a scale of 1∶5000000 shall be compiled. The Mongolia geochemical atlas at a scale of 1∶1000000 shall be compiled first, as the project has been completed.

China-Europe Silk Road Geochemical Mapping: Compile the “Belt and Road ” Geochemical Atlas at a scale of 1∶5000000. This entails cooperation with Iran, Pakistan,Turkey and Serbia on geochemical mapping, and shall include available data from Europe.

ASEAN Geochemical Mapping: Compile a geochemical atlas at a scale of 1∶1000000 with the cooperation of ASEAN countries.

3. Capacity Building for Developing Countries

An important responsibility of the ICGG is to educate and train scientists on the basis of up-to-date geochemical knowledge and technology as well as to provide technical assistance to developing countries. The ICGG has successfully held 4 international workshops and 11 short-term overseas training courses on international geochemical mapping since its establishment in May 2016. These activities played an important role in the development of geochemical mapping techniques of the participating developing countries.

4. International exchange and cooperation

The ICGG has received the full support of IUGS and its commission on Global Geochemical Baselines for its operations functioning. The project of mapping the Chemical Earth is considered as an ambitious scientific contribution by the geochemists from all the nations, to the benefit of humanity. The ICGG aims to join the world in global geochemical research, share scientific data and achievements based on voluntary contributions to achieve multi-win outcomes that contribute to sustainable long-term management of environmental and natural resources.

5. Contact

UNESCO International Centre on Global-Scale Geochemistry

Tel: +86-10-2027752

E-mail: information@unesco-icgg.org

Website: http://www.globalgeochemistry.com

Address: No. 84 Jinguang Road, Langfang, Hebei 065000,China