The Institute of Science and Environment of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) is developing a new research project funded by the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT).

Contrarily to the majority of the territories around the world, Macau does not have a detailed geological Map. The most important work was conducted by Serviços Geológicos de Portugal (SGP) in 1992 but the information is not easily accessible, it is outdated and only written in Portuguese. One of the objectives of this new project is to produce and publish an updated digital version of the geologic map of Macao in the two official languages of the territory (Chinese and Portuguese) and in English. A web interface will make all the information generated by this study available to professionals from applied areas such as engineering, land management and environment and also to the general public.

The project aims also to contribute towards a better understanding of the geology of Macao and its geodynamic evolution. The rocks of Macao will be studied using petrological and geochemical techniques, to identify the sources and processes of magma genesis, and advanced geochronological methods will be applied to estimate the age of the different rocks forming the territory. These data will contribute to the understanding of the geo-chronological evolution of Macao in the broader context of South China tectono-magmatic evolution.

Throughout the project, science education actions will be undertaken in collaboration with schools and museums to explain, in simple terms, the geological origin and characteristics of Macao to the general public, particularly to the young population.

The project is being coordinated by Professor Ágata Alveirinho Dias from the Institute of Science and Environment (ISE) of the USJ, in collaboration with researchers from the Faculty of Science of the University of Lisbon (FCUL) and the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (GIGCAS).