第四纪、更新世、全新世地层术语的来历

本文详尽地考证了第四纪、更新世和全新世等几个地层术语的来历及这些术语在使用过程中的词义演变,并讨论了相关的问题。通过这些历史的回顾和问题的讨论,可概括地了解150多年来的地质思想的演变。

ORIGINS OF QUATERNARY-PLEISTOCENE-HOLOCENE STRATIGRAPHIC TERMINOLOGY

What is the Quaternary—the Pleistocene—the Holocene (or Recent)?This paper tracksthe sources of these terms and the evolution of their meanings.The concept of the Quaternary as a segment of geologic time dates back to the mid-eigh- teenth century,as the fourth part of Arduino's basic framework in which Quaternary encom-passed loose,alluvial deposits.But Arduino's use of the term Quaternary seems never to havemade an impact.The Quaternary was born again in 1829 when Desnoyers proposed the termfor the formations that followed the then-recognized Tertiary formations.Morlot related theQuaternary with glaciation.Lyell created the term Pleistocene in 1839 to replace his NewerPliocene.However,Forbes had promulgated the use of Pleistocene for what Lyell then was call-ing Post-Pliocene,and not as synonymous with Newer Pliocene.At first,Lyell recommendedabandoning Pleistocene because of this confusion,but in 1873 or somewhat earlier advised itsuse for that segment of geologic time between the Pliocene and the Recent,essentially as weuse it today.Lyell defined the Recent in 1833 as the era that “has elapsed since the earth hasbeen tenanted by man”.He continued to use Recent throughout his writings.However,in 1869,Gervais coined the term Holocene for the Recent,consonant with the terminology of the ear-lier Tertiary epochs,and it was proposed to the International Geological Congress in 1885.In1969,the INQUA Commission for the Study of the Holocene proposed that the Pleistocene-Ho-locene boundary should be placed at 10000 a B.P.Watson and Wright represent anotherschool of thought.They argue that all Quaternary units are demonstrably diachronic and thatour terminology and explanatory models should reflect this fact.