2.1 Achievements in Data Convergence

By the end of June 2020, the Database 2020 contained 307,081 pieces of valid mineral deposit data, with an increase of more than 270,000 pieces compared to the 33,794 pieces in the Database 2002. In addition, the newly added content in the Database 2020 also includes the data tables such as code comparison table and the data items such as the code of 1:50,000-scaled map sheet of the mineral deposit data, category of major mineral types, and data source. Presently, the Database 2020 is the largest, most complete, and most comprehensive mineral deposit database in China.

In terms of mineral types, the total 307,081 pieces of data in the Database 2020 include 44,038 pieces of data on energy mineral deposits, accounting for 14.341%; 103,571 pieces of data on metal mineral deposits, accounting for 33.728%; 841 pieces of data on groundwater and gas mineral deposits, accounting for 0.274%; 158,631 pieces of data on non-metallic mineral deposits, accounting for 51.658% (Fig. 2.1).

Fig. 2.1
figure 1

Statistics of data in the National Mineral Deposit Database of China (2020) (by mineral types)

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The 103,571 pieces of data on metal mineral deposits include 37,339 pieces of data on ferrous metal deposits, accounting for 36.05%; 39,688 pieces of data on nonferrous metal deposits, accounting for 38.32%; 22,661 pieces of data on precious metal deposits, accounting for 21.88%; 1885 pieces of data on rare metal deposits, accounting for 1.82%; 555 pieces of data on dispersed element deposits, accounting for 0.54%; 1443 pieces of data on rare earth element metal deposits, accounting for 1.39% (Fig. 2.2).

Fig. 2.2
figure 2

Statistics of data on metal mineral deposits in the National Mineral Deposit Database of China (2020)

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2.2 Achievements in Data Mining

So far, the Database 2020 has integrated the data from the Database 2002, the National Mineral Deposit Database of China (by sectors), the achievements obtained from the Nationwide Mineral Resource Potential Assessment, the results of the Nationwide Mineral Resource Utilization Status Survey, the nationwide mineral reserves database of China, and the result reports, attached forms, and attachments involving mineral deposits in the geologic data holdings of the NGAC.

According to data sources recorded, in all the 307,081 pieces of mineral deposit data in the Database 2020, 217,151 pieces were extracted from the geologic data holdings of the NGAC using data mining technology, accounting for 71%. These data cover the results of a situation analysis and distribution of the mineral resources in China achieved by previous researchers over the past 100 years. In detail, they include national mine environment survey results, annals of minerals, mineral reserves sheet per year, and the data obtained during Manchukuo period (1932–1945) including mineral exploration data and mineral deposit cards in mineral geological survey results. Therefore, data mining was thoroughly conducted for all the mineral deposit-related geologic data holdings of the NGAC.