Geological Origin and Appearance Characteristics of Tianhuang: The Formation and Interpretation of Chinese "Stone Emperor"

By analyzing the formation environment and process of Tianhuang, this paper studied and discussed the origin, appearance characteristics and main varieties of Tianhuang, which is known as the "stone emperor" in China and distinguished the geological meaning behind "Tian" and "Huang" in depth. It indicated that the word "Tian" and "Huang" refers to the process that the primary Shoushan stone ore transported by flowing water and is buried in the soil layer and gravel layer at the hillside and foot of the mountain and disseminated, filled and coloured in the Fe rich secondary environment. The transportation process of Tianhuang from Shoushan area is not long, and its appearance is mostly angular and sub circular, with typical characteristics including rough stone crust, fracture and radish fiber like veins. The internal colour is usually uneven, showing the pattern of gradual lightening from external to internal, and there is a concentrated distribution of colour in micro fractures, impurity minerals and loose structure, which is a typical identification feature of Tianhuang from Shoushan area. The formation of the other yellow crusts of Tianhuang are related to the buried soil environment.