21世纪地球科学研究的重大科学问题

凝炼地球科学研究的重大科学问题，对推动地球科学基础研究的发展具有重要意义。美国国家研究理事会（National Research Council）2008年3月发布的研究报告《地球的起源和演化：变化行星的研究问题》提出了21世纪固体地球科学研究的10个重大科学问题：①地球和其他行星的起源;②地球早期的演化历史;③生命的起源;④地球内部的运动及其对地表的影响;⑤地球的板块构造与大陆;⑥地球的物质特性对地球过程的控制;⑦气候变化的原因与幅度;⑧地球—生命的相互作用;⑨地震、火山喷发等灾害及其后果的预测;⑩地球内外流体运动对人类环境的影响。这些重大科学问题对我国的地学发展战略研究及地球科学基础研究均将具有重要的借鉴和指导意义。主要依据NRC的《地球的起源和演化：变化行星的研究问题》报告，对这些重大科学问题进行了解读和分析。

Grand Research Questions of the Earth Sciences for 21 Century

There are many grand and basic research questions in earth sciences. The answers to these questions could profoundly affect our understanding of the planet on which we live, and could strongly promote the development of basic research in earth sciences. The 10 major scientific problems were identified in “Origin and Evolution of Earth: Research Questions for a Changing Planet” by US National Research Council in March, 2008. These questions are: ①How did Earth and other planets form? ②What happened during Earth′s “dark age” (the first 500 million years)? ③How did life begin? ④How does Earth′s interior work, and how does it affect the surface? ⑤Why does Earth have plate tectonics and continents? ⑥How are Earth processes controlled by material properties? ⑦What causes climate to change-and how much can it change? ⑧How has life shaped Earth-and how has Earth shaped life? ⑨Can earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and their consequences be predicted? ⑩How do fluid flow and transport affect the human environment? These scientific issues could have important guiding value to our country for earth sciences.