理论地层学先驱 中国地层学的领路人──缅怀老师尹赞勋

本文作者曾在尹赞勋教授指导和关怀下工作２７年,深受老师的谆谆教诲和支持信任,在先生逝世１０周年之际,著文缅怀前辈,以寄托崇敬和感激之情。文章联系中国第四纪研究,通过《地层规范草案及地层规范草案说明书》和《中国地层指南及中国地层指南说明书》的产生,以及工具书的编纂和《中国地层典(七)石炭系》的创编工作,回顾了尹赞勋教授对中国地层学理论和实践所做划时代的卓越贡献,认为他是当之无愧的理论地层学先驱和中国地层学的领路人。

A PIONEER OF THEORETICAL STRATIGRAPHY AND AGUIDE OF STRATIGRAPHY OF CHINA:CHERISHTHE MEMORY OF MY TEACHERPROFESSOR YIN ZANXUN

Jan. 27 of this year is the sacrifical day of the 10th anniversary of the deatho f my teacher Professor Yin Zanxun. This paper gives brief accounts of his greatcontributions to the stratigraphy of China.A pioneer of theoretical stratigraphy and a guide of stratigraphy of ChinaTotally, more than 150 treatises and works including big volumes of monographswere published in his life. Beginning from 50s, he drafted the project of stratigraphic code of China and wrote the explanation; laterly, he led a review group to revise the project of stratigraphic code of China and drafted the Stratigraphic Guideof China. He sorted over the stratigraphic names and the terms of the crustal movements in China; he studied the folding episodes from a stratigraphic viewpoint.About stratigraphic code in "The Stratigraphic Code of China" drafted by Yin.he said: "Formation is a local and basic unit of stratigraphic classification", "It ischaracterized in its unification in lithological property, lithofacies and degree of metamorphism. A formation may be composed merely of one kind of rock, or dominantly of one lithologic type enbedded with reccurent rock layers of another kind,sometimes it is made lip of two or three alternated kinds of rock, or characterizedby complicated rock composition which distinguishes from other relatively simpleformation." He also pointed out in the "explanatory notes", that: "the time definition of group, formation, or member is relatively poor. when the group, formation.or member with different names and approximately the same ages carries on timecorrelation each other, its time interval varies in different locations and differs inlength; even if in the same group, formation, or member, its time interval variesfrom place to place within its limits of distribution."This meaning and usage of "formation" showed that the formation in Chinesecode was the lithostratigraphic unit, not same as the suite in the code of USSR, thesuite is a local chronostratigraphic unit. Yin's thinking of stratigraphic classificationbelongs to the concept of multiple stratigraphic classification of modern stratigraphy.so Prof. Yin founded the first Chinese stratigraphic code of modern stratigraphy.The restriction of meaning and usage of formation was correct, but it has notbeen implemented seriously.The stratigraphic u,ork must be done according to the code Prof. Yin has emphasized "A code of unifying the principles of classification, ranks, terminology andnomenclature of Quaternary stratigraphic subdivision are badly in need of being drawnup. In recent years, a great deal of works has been done by different workingunites in various places. A wealth of data was accumulated and quite a few stratigraphic tables were compiled, but since each goes his own way without any unifiedstandard, artificial confusion in using various names, different way of classificationand difficulties in correlation are brought out. The main task at present is to takerelevant documents issued by the International Subcommission on Stratigraphic Classification (ISSC) of lUGS Commission on Stratigraphy as reference to draw uppromptly a Quaternary code of China. If some people oppose the regulations anddon't act according to the code, the confusion will certainly continue, and be unfavourable to the development of Quaternary research."For example, "the Stratigraphic Code of China" proposed that in Quaternary,the symbol QP and Qh or Q1 and Q2 should be used instead of the prevalent Q1, Q2,Q3 and Q4 at that time. But many people mix up the two different ranks of chronostratigraphic units (subseries and series), and said that the Quaternary is composedof four subdivisions. They use Q1,Q2,Q3 and Q4 to represent respectively the lower,midle, upper Pleistocene Subseries and the Holocene Series. It is the typical instancethat opposes the regulation and does not act according to "the Stratigraphic Code ofChina" and "the Stratigraphic Guide of China".Dedicating oneself to compilation of reference books, willing to be "a pavestone" Since 1955, Prof. Yin began dedicate himself to the w