Some problems, strategical and tactical, in international geochemical mapping

The International Geochemical Mapping (IGM) Project (IGCP 259) is the inevitable outcome of the historical development of geochemical exploration from local to regional and then to national scales. For the successful implementation of this project, its long-term and short-term aims should be clarified and many strategical and tactical problems have to be solved. In this paper, the author lays special emphasis on two problems: (1) obtaining geochemical data for this project that are more informative for mineral exploration, basic geology and environmental study; and (2) methods for rendering the data globally comparable. The experiences of China's Regional Geochemistry-National Reconnaissance (RGNR) Project in dealing with these two critical problems are discussed.