9th International Symposium on the Ordovician System, 7th International Graptolite Conference ＆ Field Meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy

The “9th International Symposium on the Ordovician System, 7th International Graptolite Conference & Field Meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy” commenced on August 12,2003, by receiving in San Juan City to all participants of the pre-symposia field trip through the Precordillera of Mendoza and San Juan provinces, western Argentina. On August 13, the field trip began with the purpose to show significant Lower Paleozoic outcrops from diverse settings of the Precordillera geological province. This fivedays excursion was led by Drs. S. H. Peralta.     

“干旱气候变化与可持续发展国际学术研讨会（ISACS）”在中国兰州隆重召开

全球气候变暖是当今世界各国政府所关注的重大问题,如何应对全球气候变化及其影响是各国面临的共同挑战。干旱气候变化是气候变化研究中的热点问题之一,干旱气候变化引起的沙漠化和干旱生态退化及其对自然环境和人类社会产生的影响等问题已引起国际社会广泛重视。干旱问题不仅是全球地球科学界研究的焦点科学问题之一,同时也是世界各国政府和社会公众关注的重大热点问题。     

The Working Group on International Borders——Geoenvironmental Concerns （IBC）

The Working Group on International Borders---Geoenvironmental Concerns (IBC) was established in late 2003 and operates under the auspices of The IUGS Commission on Geological Sciences for Environmental Planning (COGEOENVIRONMENT). The following is a brief report of the first year‘s activities of the IBC during 2003.     

The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point （GSSP） of the Tortonian Stage （Upper Miocene） at Monte Dei Corvi

The GSSP of the Tortonian Stage, which per definition marks the base of the Tortonian and, hence, the boundary between the Serravallian and Tortonian Stages of the Middle and Upper Miocene Subseries, has recently been defined and ratified by the IUGS. The boundary stratotype-section is Monte dei Corvi (Italy) where the Tortonian GSSP is now formally at the mid-point of the sapropel of small-scale sedimentary cycle no. 76, close to the last common occurrences (LCOs) of the calcareous nannofossil Discoaster kugleri and the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides subquadratus and associated with the short normal subchron C5r.2n. The GSSP level coincides closely with oxygen isotope event Mi-5 and the associated glacio-eustatic sea-level low-stand of supercycle T3.1 and concurrent deep-sea hiatus NH4,and is dated astronomically at 11.608 Ma. The Monte Gibliscemi section is accepted as an auxiliary boundary stratotype because the better preservation of the calcareous microfossils in this section enables quantitative analyses and the construction of a stable isotope record.