At the end of July, 10 junior students from the School of Earth Resources completed successfully the 18-day geological fieldwork in Australia, which was jointly organized by James Cook University and CUG.The students improved their professional abilities as well as experienced a cultural exchange between Australia and China through the trip. This was the third year of the joint fieldwork.
As the second oldest university in Queensland, James Cook University is a teaching and research university located in Townsville. The fieldwork was conducted in Mount Isa, a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines is one of the most productive single mines in world history, based on combined production of lead, silver, copper and zinc.The region is perfect for geological research because of its complex and well-preserved geological phenomena. It is also the selected area for geological mapping practice by JCU.
The fieldwork contained three stages: geological mapping training, group mapping, and mine surveying. The first stage in the Eastern Mount Isa focused on sedimentary formation as well as metamorphism and deformation. The teachers instructed the students in field reconnaissance and large-scale grid mapping. During the second stage in Mary Kathleen, the students were involved in group mapping for days after the teachers introduced typical lithology. In the third stage, the teachers showed the students around the lead-zinc copper deposit of Mount Isa and the uranium deposit of Mary Kathleen, and discussed the relationships of various metallogenic events and geological events in the region. At last, every student submitted maps and reports in English.
(Edited and translated from the Chinese version)
