An integrated budget calculation model for environmental geological mapping

As a cornerstone of national geological endeavors, environmental geological mapping requires scientifically rigorous budgeting standards to enhance resource allocation efficiency and ensure survey quality. This study establishes a multidimensional budget calculation model tailored for 1:50,000 environmental geological mapping, integrating the cost-quota theory, which links resource inputs to standardized work units, within a structured four-phase methodology comprising data collection, quota determination, model development, and empirical validation. We extracted key productivity metrics-such as work efficiency (e.g., a standardized group-day efficiency of 4.8 km²/day), personnel deployment, material consumption, equipment allocation, and transportation quotas-from 12,843 field logs provided by 16 national survey teams. The model applies fundamental engineering economics principles ("quantity-price-cost") underpinned by cost-quota theory to compute theoretical budget values, which are further refined through a dual-dimensional adjustment mechanism incorporating geological complexity (coefficients ranging from 1.0 to 1.5) and regional cost coefficients. Empirical validation shows that the proposed model reduces budget deviations to below 3% (specifically 2.1%, 1.7%, and 2.5% across three distinct geological settings), markedly surpassing traditional budgeting approaches. This study offers a scalable and scientifically grounded framework for budget management in geological surveys, with substantial practical implications for optimizing fiscal resource allocation and promoting standardization within the industry.