【Interview with expert at Rocks Net—Engineering Geologists Ng Kwok Choi】
Geological survey is like a process of traditional Chinese diagnoses, with four examinations: inquiring, looking, listening and smelling, sometimes even a surgery is needed to get samples. But rock doctors can not sit in an air-conditioned room like private doctors, they have to walk thousands of miles in rough weather, and diagnose their patients on desolate slopes and mountains. All efforts are made to get an accurate geological map and make citizens better informed of every inch of their own land.
Geological survey is a specialty science. With the specialty knowledge accumulated by predecessors and changing survey methods, man can master the features of rocks and strata, including the types of rocks and the formation and ages of landforms. Geology has close relationship with a city's plan and development, so all governments will organize geological survey on their respective territories.
Geological survey in Hong Kong began at the end of 1920s, the age of colony, when the British Hong Kong Government invited geological experts to search for iron ore and lead ore. According to literature, the first person who made all-round geological survey for Hong Kong was an expert from University of British Columbia. He spent about 8 years and completed the history-first Hong Kong geological map in 1936.
Restricted by human & material resources and survey craft, the first geological map was a little bit rough, only introducing the general distribution of the major types of Hong Kong's rocks, to the scale 1:84,480, 1 inch: 1 mile. The data seemed too simple to be practical at the end of 1960s, when Hong Kong began its rapid development, and accurate geological statistics were badly needed in all constructions, therefore the British Hong Kong Government invited experts from British Geological Survey to Hong Kong to make a more accurate geological map, enlarging the scale 1:50,000.
As the saying for Hong Kong goes "Land is precious", you can image how densely developed Hong Kong is. Along with the economic success in 1980s, the demand for geological survey was stricter. Then the Geotechnical Engineering Office was founded in 1977 and established geological expert team internally to lead the time-consuming Hong Kong geological survey. In 1984 to 1996, they made 15 geological maps by regions for Hong Kong, enlarging the scale to 1:20,000, superior to many western countries.
Though geological survey in Hong Kong has reached the top level, it never stops its steps forward. Assisted by geographic information system, Civil Engineering and Development Department is researching to create digital geological map which can be applied to different fields like the research on mudflow-prevention, and is being uploaded on the website of the Department for public reference.
Such a perfect geological map owes itself to those rock doctors. As Engineering Geologist Ng Kwok Choi of Civil Engineering and Development Department said, geological survey is like doctor's diagnosis. Doctors usually observe patients' complexions before making diagnosis, likewise, geologists also start works from rocks' appearances. To further confirm the diagnosis, doctors need sample the patient's blood for test; geologists also take rock samples and make type analysis and stable isotope test under the microscope before confirming the age of rocks.
Rock doctors are unsung heroes. They don't have the reputation of "Xuan Hu Ji Shi" (name of a traditional Chinese tale, praising the doctors who save the needy), and also can not sit in an air-conditioned room to wait for patients. Of course, rocks will never say thanks to them. But they still go to the wild frequently for their works, and sometimes they need walk a whole day to do survey for what little we see in the map. Ng Kwok Choi said: "Survey is hard work. Our office is in the wild and steep mountains and sometimes we have to walk long under the scorching sun. You can never do that without enthusiasm." 」
The enthusiasm Ng Kwok Choi mentioned is a kind of deviation when someone suddenly stops to jump to a piece of rock while taking a walk on the hillside. He said: "when I was on my geologic study, once I did survey outside with my professor, I suddenly stopped and lay down to watch a piece of rock, and even yelled for its beauty, it was very unintelligible as I see now." 」
Rocks are silent but not boring. What bores people is a lack of knowledge to appreciate rocks. Ng Kwok Choi told me geologists would not feel tired even on a land they had visited many times, "he observed from one perspective yesterday, but today he may get a completely different result from another perspective." It is very common that one theory negates another in geology, which is how man gives an endless life to rock.
Ng Kwok Choi tried to inject geologists' enthusiasm into the blood of ordinary people, and thereby publicizing this natural science and improving citizens' awareness to love rocks. Take for example the hexagonal rock columns around High Island Reservoir and Kwo Chau Islands. Hexagonal rock column is a kind of basic rock existing in many places of the world, but it is special in Hong Kong for its acidity and tuff features. With that knowledge, Hong Kong people will treasure this unique gem even more.
The promotion of geology includes introductory books or exhibitions and lectures in campus. Ng Kwok Choi emphasized geology publicity is very important, because most people do not have specialty knowledge on appreciating landscapes, so auxiliary tools are very necessary for them to get the joy brought by rocks. Furthermore, if geology is publicized in Hong Kong and even children can name the rocks in High Land Reservoir, nature conservation will become much easier.
