How dangerous is Ailao Mountain? How to protect life safety when working in the field?

Expert of this article: Yan Lina, Associate Professor, School of Earth Sciences, Hebei University of Geosciences

Many days have passed since four geological survey workers in Yunnan went missing. Ailao Mountain, a previously unknown mountain in central Yunnan, has suddenly become a hot topic of concern.

Event Review

On November 13, 2021, four geological survey workers from the China Geological Survey's Kunming Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Center lost contact while conducting field work in Ailao Mountain. After several days of multi-party search and rescue, the four workers were found on the morning of November 22. Unfortunately, all four had died.

What kind of mountain is Ailao Mountain? Why did four professionals with certain wilderness survival skills die at the same time? How can we protect our lives when in danger in the wilderness? Let's solve these doubts together today.

What kind of mountain is Ailao Mountain?

Ailao Mountain is an arc-shaped mountain range located in central Yunnan, with a total length of more than 800 kilometers. It runs from northwest to southeast, with an average altitude of 2500m to 1000m, and the main peak is 3166m above sea level. Ailao Mountain is not only the dividing line between the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains, but also the watershed between the Red River and the Lancang River.

Ailao Mountain is controlled by the neotectonic activity of the Red River Fault Zone. The eastern slope has a large relative height difference and a steep slope. The mountain is broken and the rainfall is vertically zoned. The geological environment is relatively fragile and prone to geological disasters such as landslides, collapses, and mud-rock flows.

A brief map of the structure and geomorphology of Ailao Mountain and its adjacent areas Source: Wang Erqi, Fan Chun, Wang Gang, etc. The structural and geomorphic process of the formation of Ailao Mountain-Diancang Mountain in western Yunnan, Quaternary Research, 2006

The Ailao Mountain area is extremely rich in virgin forest resources and is the largest virgin evergreen broad-leaved forest area in the country. The area where the four survey workers died this time is located in the core area of ​​the Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve, an uninhabited area of ​​virgin forests with particularly complex topography, extremely steep and dense mountains and forests, and many cliffs.

The climate in the Ailao Mountain area is unique. Due to the dense forests, even if the weather outside is clear and sunny, deep in the primeval forest, there may be dense fog, continuous rain, or even extremely dim light and darkness, which can easily make people lose their sense of direction. Once lost, it is difficult to find the original road, and movement may be more difficult than expected. The possibility of navigation and communication equipment failure is also greatly increased. In addition, there are dangerous factors such as streams and ravines in the mountains. If it rains for several days, there will be geological disasters such as landslides, collapses, and mudslides.

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In addition, it is the beginning of winter in Ailao Mountain, and the temperature difference between day and night is large. It is about 20 degrees Celsius during the day and may drop to 7-8 degrees at night. There has been continuous rainfall in recent days, and the fog in the forest has made visibility extremely low. Under such conditions, if you can't find a suitable place to avoid the rain and cold at night, you may face the risk of hypothermia.

In addition, the Ailao Mountain area is also rich in wildlife resources.

In recent years, accidents in field geological surveys have occurred frequently.

On July 8, 2016, Dr. Li Xianglong from the Institute of Geological Environment Monitoring of the China Geological Survey was conducting a geological disaster investigation in the Hehuang area of ​​Gansu Province when he was unfortunately buried and killed due to the sudden collapse of the exploration trench wall.

On July 30, 2018, five teachers and students from Southwest Petroleum University were hit by a mudslide during a field geological survey in Xinjiang. One teacher and three students were killed, and one student survived.

Why is field geological work dangerous?

Geological surveys often require "climbing a mountain where there is no path", so field geological work is somewhat dangerous.

Generally speaking, field survey work is highly mobile and dispersed, and factors such as natural conditions, environment, climate, technical equipment, and operation management process can directly lead to various production safety accidents. At the same time, geologists face a difficult working environment and unpredictable emergencies, including geological disasters, weather changes, encounters with dangerous wild animals, falling from heights, getting lost, hypothermia, hunger and dehydration, and high altitude hypoxia.

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Field geological staff

How to protect life safety?

① Different regional environments, such as snow, mountainous areas, plateaus, deserts, swamps, etc., face different dangers. It is extremely important to understand and master the safety conditions of geological exploration work areas, including animals, plants, epidemic infectious species, natural environment, human geography, transportation, and safe operations in emergency situations.

② Carry equipment, materials, tools, instruments, etc. that meet the standards. Bring enough outdoor equipment and clothing, including necessary communication equipment, lighters, mosquito and snake medicine, antidiarrhea medicine, hemostatic strips, water purification tablets, high-calorie foods, flashlights, knives, navigation and positioning tools, rainproof and cold-proof clothing, etc.

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③Teamwork should not be ignored. Generally, it is best to travel with more than three people. If one person is in danger, one person can be responsible for taking care of him and the other can go down the mountain to ask for help. In addition, in unfamiliar places, it is best to ask a local guide to accompany you in advance.

It is very important for field geologists to master appropriate risk avoidance and survival skills.

First of all, field geologists must promptly understand the current difficulties they are facing. It is extremely important to seek help when in distress. They must get in touch with the outside world through various means, and the signals they send must be sufficient to attract people's attention.

The type of signal can be determined according to one's own situation and surrounding conditions, such as pyrotechnic signals, body signals, sound signals, reflective signals, etc. In general, actions repeated three times symbolize seeking help.

Secondly, once you are in danger and out of water and food, in addition to sending out a distress signal, finding water is the top priority and trying to avoid dehydration.

The first choice place to find water is the bottom of the valley. In mountainous areas, you can look for it along the cracks in the rocks. Water can usually be found in the riverbed between two mountains. Water may be dug out from the lowest point of the depression between sand dunes.

In addition, fire is also the key to survival in times of distress. Fire can cook food, keep warm, and dry clothes. Be careful when making a fire outdoors, and choose a place with little wind or in the leeward direction. Before making a fire, remove flammable materials around it to avoid causing unnecessary fires.

Fire starters can be dry grass, dry branches, pine needles, paper, cotton, etc. The burning materials are mainly dry firewood, and you can also choose hay twisted into ropes, oil shale, dry animal feces, plastics, tires, domestic garbage, etc.

Although there are many ways to avoid danger and save yourself in the wild, it needs to be emphasized that safety awareness in field geological surveys is more important than emergency self-rescue. I hope that the geological workers who are working in the wild mountains and dense forests are safe and sound. At the same time, I remind everyone that when going out to the mountains or the wild to play, you must also be prepared in advance and always pay attention to safety.

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