A female geologist with a smart tongue
CGTN

A Weibo post of a geologist showing off her very special skills went viral recently. Apparently, she is able to tell the water content of a rock by a simple licking it. The post has attracted more than 70 million people and 4 million video views.

Yang Lizhi, a researcher at Shandong Institute of Geological Survey, is the woman in the photo. Her skill is the result of 31 years' experience of researching underground water in the wild. "Due to limited conditions in the wild, we cannot bring all the equipment. By using our tongue to feel the stones, we can test the water content at the location," Yang said during an interview with Pear Video.

What makes her so confident about her unusual test method? Yang says that when if the moisture from her saliva is absorbed quickly, it implies the stone has good aquosity, which means higher water content. If her tongue sticks to the stone, that means it contains a higher level of clay representing a lower level of water content. In order to find good quality underground water, good aquosity is really important.

By licking rocks, Yang Lizhi can estimate the water content. /VCG Photo

By licking rocks, Yang Lizhi can estimate the water content. /VCG Photo

After been working in geology for so many years, Yang Lizhi has been to almost every village in Shandong Province. She has devoted most of her life to this area. "Every time when I went out, the trips could last for a couple of months, or even 2 to 3 years," she recalled. While working in the field, she sometimes cannot go back home even during the New Year or Spring Festival.

Even though her job has been taking most of her time, she is really proud of what she is doing. In 2011, Yang and her colleagues went to Yimeng Mountain area in Shandong to drill wells for local people. The locals have been living with one drill for generations. During the drought, they face serious water shortages. After she and her team drilled the new wells, the residents enjoyed water without worrying about drought.

Yang Lizhi has been to many villages to drill wells for the locals. /VCG Photo

Yang Lizhi has been to many villages to drill wells for the locals. /VCG Photo

Yang's action has impressed lots of readers. People have started to understand the difficulties of working as a geological engineer. "Thankfully, we have such a group of steadfast and hard-working geologists that bring the benefits to people by sacrificing their time," commented one Weibo reader.

Drilling water wells and pollution control are all part of the job of geological engineers. 

 (Cover photo via VCG)

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