Metamorphism of sedimentary rocks recognised by 19th century French naturalists: A case study from the Chavanon sequence marbles,Massif Central,France

The Chavanon metamorphic sequence in the Variscan French Massif Central contains marble lenses that have been exploited since at least the 18th century to produce lime. They provided an opportunity to some major pioneers among nineteenth century French geologists to understand how metamorphic rocks are formed. The intimate association between marbles and gneisses led them to propose that the initial pile of rocks was deposited as a single unit under water. They thoroughly described the attitude, folding and mineralogy of the marbles, making their works of great historical value. Originally written in French, their translation into English and the reproduction of original figures from the works they published will be very useful to the international community of geologists interested in the history of their science.     

高速远程滑坡-碎屑流运动机理研究发展现状与展望

高速远程滑坡-碎屑流具有极高的运动速度和超远距离的位移,往往能够引发灾难性事故,造成严重的生命财产损失,因此,它的运动机理,即高速远程效应机理一直是国内外学者研究的热点。目前国外主要存在四种观点:空气润滑模型、颗粒流模型、能量传递模型和底部超孔隙水压力模型。但是,由于高速远程滑坡-碎屑流自身的复杂性,到目前为止,研究还没有取得公认的成果。 中国是高速远程滑坡-碎屑流的频发区,因其研究才刚刚起步,研究成果还处于定性阶段。本文在查阅大量文献的基础上,从理论和技术两方面分别阐述了国内外高速远程滑坡-碎屑流运动机理研究的发展现状,对目前纵多的理论和模型进行了归纳与总结,点评了目前研究的难点,并在此基础上提出了今后的研究重点。本文是国内外首次对该领域的研究进行系统的归纳和总结,对今后类似的研究具较高的参考价值。     

Geology and the Allied liberation of Normandy: highlights to help mark the 75th anniversary of D‐Day, 6 June 1944

During the Second World War, the Allied invasion of the French coast of Normandy on D‐Day, 6 June 1944, was the greatest amphibious assault in world history. An article in Geology Today (v.11, for 1995, pp.58–63) marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, on 8 May 1945, by describing how British military geologists had participated in planning for D‐Day and in the NW Europe campaign that followed it. The work of these geologists provides a classic case history, revealing that ‘military geology’ has many potential applications. Geological factors influenced site selection for temporary airfields, predictions of trafficability for the Normandy beaches, the development of potable water supplies, and quarrying for road metal—and more besides. This new article helps to mark the 75th anniversary of D‐Day by further details of how geologists and geology contributed to Allied victory.     

全球构造研究的简要回顾

全球构造研究可分为：（１）１９世纪后期“固定论”占统治地位阶段；（２）２０世纪６０年代前“活动论”曲折发展阶段；（３）６０年代以来板块学说占统治地位阶段。当代全球构造研究以地球深部构造与物质研究为关键。日本学者提出了“幔柱构造”和新的全球构造体系，其它学者提出了不同形式的“膨胀论”和“脉动论”。全球构造研究应注意思想创新，冲破均变论思想的局限性。建议以突变观点和“阶段论”为依据，使观察、推理和实验三者适当配合，发挥优势，逐步建立自己的地球动力学及其演化模型。     

Perspectives on the geoarchaeology of the Lower Mississippi Valley

The impact of Harold N. Fisk's work on the archaeology and geoarchaeology of the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) has been monumental. As a result of his landmark publications on the geology of the alluvial valley of the Mississippi River our comprehension of the interplay between geological, geomorphic, and human actions is relatively well developed. However, geologists and archaeologists still need to work together more closely to appreciate and understand the contributions each field has to offer. Examination of the interplay between geologists and archaeologists in the realm of dating and landscape evolution provides the basis for an investigation of the state of geoarchaeology in the LMV today. Integration of research demands an appreciation of scale which must be approached from an historical perspective. Humans have, both in the past and the present, impacted the natural environment of the Mississippi River and its floodplain. Only when this fact is fully appreciated by archaeologists and geologists alike will it be possible to forge a new synthesis of the relationship between the dynamic alluvial valley and its human occupants.     

稳定同位素生物考古学的学科规范、认知误区和分析模型

自20世纪70年代以来,稳定同位素生物考古学在科技考古研究中的重要性越发凸显。21世纪初以降,本学科的发展进入"快车道",吸引了大量的自然科学学者和考古学者涉足其中。然而,学科的快速发展不可避免地暴露出与稳定同位素分析密切相关的一些重要问题,如学科规范有所欠缺、一些认知误区仍然存在等。近些年来,国际学界业已开始关注这些问题并提出了相应的对策或建议。本研究拟在笔者之前反思的基础上,基于近些年以来的研究实践和思考,结合国际学界在此方面的认知,详细阐述了稳定同位素生物考古的学科规范（包括同位素的术语规范、同位素的测试规范、成岩作用的检验规范）,重点聚焦和澄清同位素生物考古研究的8个认知误区。最后,首次构建了科学诠释同位素数据的分析模型。本项工作对于规范稳定同位素生物考古学的学科建设、聚焦重要科学问题或考古学问题具有重要意义。     

褶皱构造模拟实验及理论研究的历程和发展趋向初探

简要介绍了褶皱构造模拟实验和理论研究在50~80年代取得的主要成果,重点说明了该项研究在50年代末至60年代末取得的巨大成果,及70年代初由于褶皱物理模拟和数学模拟的迅速发展和相互配合以及仪器的更新所取得的成绩,指出褶皱理论存在的关键问题是在野外和室内都应用不广。最后探讨了这一研究的5个发展趋向。     

关于李四光教授往事的回忆

李四光先生是我国老一辈地质学家之一,对地质学的许多分支学科作出了重要贡献。他建立了地质力学,并以发现中国第四纪冰川而闻名于世。我对1933年11月他在中国地质学会第十届年会上关于庐山第四纪冰川的理事长演说至今记忆犹新。作为一个科学家,他强调一个地质工作者首先要做好野外工作,一切地质假说和理论必须以事实为依据。作为新中国的第一任地质部部长,他鼓励地质工作者要为祖国的社会主义建设作出贡献。     

Karl von Raumer: a pioneer of German military geology

Napoleon Bonaparte was in 1798 the first general to involve geologists as such in a military campaign. But geologists were attached to his army as civilians, without military rank or command function. In contrast, the Prussian general (later Field Marshal) Gebhard von Blücher has generally been credited with first making use of a geologist in military uniform: Professor Karl von Raumer, during the 1813–14 war of German liberation from French Napoleonic domination. Authors have claimed that Blücher consulted Raumer for information on the terrain of Silesia before triumphing over the French at the Battle of the Katzbach in 1813, and that Raumer was therefore the first geologist to help plan a military operation. But is this true? Did Raumer in effect initiate German military use of geology – pioneering the widespread use of geologists, many of them professors, in the 20th century German army?     

新疆地质矿产事业光辉灿烂的五十年

首先首要回顾了新疆百余年来的地质工作历史,在此基础上,主要从基础地质、矿产地质和地矿科研三个方面论述了新中国成立后,五十年来新疆地质矿产事业取得的辉煌成就和巨大贡献,讴歌了新疆地质矿产工作者艰苦创业、开拓进取、无私奉献的精神。最后展望了２１世纪新疆地质矿产事业的灿烂前景。     

Comprehending conodonts

Conodonts were small, thin, elongate jawless creatures that were a common component of the marine fauna from the late Cambrian, throughout the Palaeozoic and into the Triassic. For the majority of conodont research history, speculations on conodont affinity were restricted to the histology and arrangement of their mineralized tissues—‘conodont elements’. These conodont elements comprise millimetre‐scale phosphatic microfossils that superficially resemble teeth, and are commonly recovered from the residues of appropriately aged, disaggregated sedimentary rocks. It has only been in the last three decades, since the discovery of exceptionally preserved soft tissues, that the debate on conodont affinity has been refined, though it has hardly been less vigorously debated. Despite being studied extensively for over more than a century and a half, conodonts retain significant enigmatic qualities. Although many geologists today are familiar with the name, knowledge of conodont biology and ecology are often surprisingly lacking or confused, and conodonts remain as largely disembodied microfossil curiosities. Despite this, conodont elements are extensively and variously used in biostratigraphy, thermal maturation studies and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, while conodonts themselves occupy a potentially critical position in the evolutionary tree of our own phylum—the chordates.     

Conflicting imaginations: Archaeology, anthropology and geomorphology on Leskernick Hill, Bodmin Moor, southwest Britain

In this paper we view the different practices of archaeology, anthropology, environmental reconstruction and geomorphology through the lens of fieldwork on the clitter fields and Bronze Age settlement patterns on Leskernick Hill, Bodmin Moor, southwest Britain. The moor forms one of the best preserved fossil prehistoric landscapes of Europe and has undergone repeated periglacial episodes during the Quaternary. We show that the characterisation of patterned ground by archaeologists and anthropologists can be very different from that generated by geomorphology, particularly with respect to the spatial scales at which culture/nature questions are posed. We argue that the research project at Leskernick is a good example of how multi-disciplinary work is often more fruitful than mono-disciplinary and provides an example of how conversations across the divides of disciplinary practice can be held.     

What do geologists do when the coronavirus bites? Ideas for educators

The spread of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has had a major effect on the way that geologists carry out their work—and particularly those engaged in educating the next generation of geologists. There are a number of resources available, and some, focussed on fostering interest in budding geologists, are presented here.     

21世纪地质科学展望——31届国际地质大会学术启示

第31届国际地质大会于2000年8月6～17日在巴西里约热内卢举行，共103个国家和地区3705名代表出席。第31届国际地质大会的主题是：地质学与可持续发展——第三个千年的挑战。中国代表团共180余人出席了大会，在不同的领域和学科参加交流。作者有幸参加了大会，现根据交流资料和领会的感受，对新世纪地质科学发展的趋向及面临的挑战作一归纳，与同仁讨论。文中简单回顾过去100年地质科学发展的特征，强调了技术进步推动地质科学进步的决定性作用；提出了21世纪地质科学面临的若干方面任务，包括：矿产资源持续供给、水资源短缺、减轻自然灾害、溶入社会和政治等。     

我国工程地质学发展战略的思考

本文就我国工程地质学在十一五期间的发展战略进行了讨论,包括工程地质学面临的机遇和挑战;围绕的科学问题;在我国地球系统科学发展中的作用以及今后的发展趋势等。     

The Present Research and Prospect of Chinese Geosciences History

It has been over a hundred years since the birth of research on Chinese geosciences history, which was accompanied by the continuous progress of Chinese geosciences. For hundreds of years, it has grown out of nothing to brilliant performance by several generations of Chinese geologists committing their hearts and minds with the spirit of exert and strive without stop to promote the process of China's industrialization and to produce the significant impact on serving the society. The study of Chinese geosciences history reflects objectively and historically the history of geosciences in China, which has recorded, analyzed and evaluated the dynamic process sitting in the background and clue of the history of Chinese geosciences development. The study of the history of geological science has roughly experienced two stages in China. The first stage is the study of individual researchers. It spanned approximately 70 years from the early 20th century to the end of the 1970s. The research contents were mainly based on the evolution of geological organizations, the development and utilization of individual mineral species, the history of deposit discovery and the research of geological characters. The main representatives are Zhang Hongzhao, Ding Wenjiang, Weng Wenhao and Li Siguang, Ye Liangfu, Huang Jiqing, Yang Zhongjian, Xie Jiarong, Gao Zhenxi, Wang Bingzhang and etc. The most prominent feature of this period is the accumulation of a very valuable document for the study of the history of China's geological history and lays a foundation for the exchange of geological science between China and foreign countries. The second stage is organized group study. It took around 60 years from the 1920s to 1980s. It includes the history of Chinese geology, the history of geological organizations, the history of geological disciplines, the history of geological education, the history of geological philosophy, the history of Chinese and foreign geological science communication, the history of geologists and etc. The most chief feature of this stage is the birth of academic research institute―the establishment of the Commission on the History of Geology of the Geological Society of China.     

Letters from volcanoes

Geology Today often features letters from geologists working on active volcanoes. Some of the most famous letters from a volcano were written by Sir William Hamilton from Vesuvius in Italy, during the 18th century and earned him the title of 'the first volcanologist'.     

Joggins,Nova Scotia

Joggins is a famous fossil locality in Nova Scotia, Canada. Hewn by some of the world's highest tides on the Bay of Fundy, these crumbling cliffs shed light on the life and environments of the Carboniferous Coal Age, 315 million years ago. The site has been a magnet for geologists since the early nineteenth century. Charles Lyell described it as the world's best coal‐bearing section and together with his colleague, William Dawson, reported amazing fossil forests and a rich terrestrial fauna. Since that golden age, the rate of new fossil discoveries has hardly diminished and in recognition of its importance, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2008. Even after many years of study, it remains a tremendous thrill for us to explore this ‘classic locality’ in far‐flung Nova Scotia. Each winter storm, rock fall, and tide brings with it the tantalizing possibility of new fossils and new scientific insights. In this article we share something of our excitement for Joggins and provide an up to date field guide for those wishing to unlock its secrets.     

Abraham Gottlob Werner: History and folk‐history

The Neptunist‐Vulcanist controversy has distorted the reputations of both James Hutton and Abraham Gottlob Werner. Among English‐speaking geologists, Hutton is often presented as the Father of Modern Geology, whereas Werner's views are seen as ‘palpably absurd’. Both men made major contributions to geology, but they were men of their age, the second half of the eighteenth century, and remote in their general ideas from those current since Lyell's day in the mid‐nineteenth. Werner was greatly admired by some of his ablest contemporaries, and their admiration becomes inexplicable if we regard his views as ‘palpably absurd’. Historical research in the last few years, reviewed here, is able to show how Werner's views arose and why they seemed persuasive at the time. Some examples of Neptunist observations in Australia in the 1820's are given to show the application and later modification of the theory.     

中国构造地质学如何面向21世纪

２１世纪将是构造地质学科蓬勃发展的时期，可以预见到的是将会有新的全球构造理论提出，它将部分或全部替代板块构造理论；同时，构造地质学的应用和服务领域也将进一步扩大。在这一新形势面前，中国地质学家对过去和现在所取得的成就和不足应有一个清醒的估计，以便正确地确定我国构造地质学在国际学术界中所处的位置，进而为我国构造地质学今后趋向繁荣作好准备。本文以“知己知彼，百战不殆”的战略原则为主线，阐述了构造地质学科自身所具备的某些特点，分析了我国构造地质学所取得的成就和现实水平，对今后的主攻方向选择提出了建议，最后还针对影响我国构造地质学发展的一些认识和方法论问题提出了笔者的见解。