https://www.scmp.com/rss/524710/feed The latest news and top stories on Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG). A Guangzhou, China-based research institute, GIG is dedicated to advancing knowledge in geochemistry and related Earth sciences. Its main areas of focus include mineral deposits, environmental pollution, sustainable development and global changes. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden If one were to travel to central China, in what is now Hubei province, 4,500 years ago, they might have been fortunate enough to discover a vibrant civilisation characterised by palaces, advanced engineering, and luxuries such as jade. However, in the generations that followed, this culture gradually declined, with its people dispersing across the region. Until now, the reasons behind the collapse of such a thriving civilisation were not well understood. A group of scientists now believe that... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347814/how-climate-change-led-demise-once-thriving-chinese-civilisation-4500-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347814/how-climate-change-led-demise-once-thriving-chinese-civilisation-4500-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang In the highest-ranking sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui, 11 crimson beads remained undisturbed for 3,000 years among bronze vessels, ivory tusks and fragments of gold. They are carnelian – a red gemstone prized across the ancient world, from the Indus Valley to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In China, however, carnelian was not commonly found in elite burials until the late Western Zhou dynasty (c1046-771BC), with red tones traditionally represented by other minerals, such as ochre and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343451/how-did-prized-red-gemstone-reach-ancient-mysterious-shu-kingdom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343451/how-did-prized-red-gemstone-reach-ancient-mysterious-shu-kingdom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:20 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have identified micron-sized grains of “iron rust” in lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang’e-6 mission last year. This finding challenges the traditional understanding of the moon’s surface chemistry and offers new clues to explain lunar magnetic anomalies. The results were published on Friday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. A research team from Shandong University, in collaboration with the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332987/chinese-team-finds-iron-rust-lunar-soil-challenging-old-ideas-about-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332987/chinese-team-finds-iron-rust-lunar-soil-challenging-old-ideas-about-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 11:10:46 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik A Chinese-led team of scientists says it has found a naturally formed mineral with rare earth elements in a fern, a world first that offers a “green circular model” for extracting high-value rare earths, according to an institution behind the study. The researchers said the discovery of nanoscale monazite in a living plant “opens new possibilities for the direct recovery of functional rare earth element materials”. “To our knowledge, this is the earliest reported occurrence of rare earth... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332337/chinese-team-reports-first-recovery-rare-earth-minerals-living-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332337/chinese-team-reports-first-recovery-rare-earth-minerals-living-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 04:00:12 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Beneath our feet, in sunless depths once thought barren, a vast and vibrant ecosystem thrives. A groundbreaking study by Chinese and Canadian scientists has revealed the surprising “energy engine” powering this hidden biosphere: the very breaking and grinding of Earth’s crust during earthquakes and tectonic shifts. Forget 19th century French novelist Jules Verne’s fantastical depictions of mastodons and giant dragonflies dwelling in mushroom forests nine to 12 metres (30 to 40 feet) tall in an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320270/earthquakes-can-power-hidden-life-darkest-depths-earth-china-led-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320270/earthquakes-can-power-hidden-life-darkest-depths-earth-china-led-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 10:03:29 +0000