开展“人类世”环境研究,做新时代地学的开拓者——纪念黄汲清先生的地学创新精神

第四纪环境这门科学,是地质学的一个横截面,是地质历史时期的最新一章,它是一门探索时间的科学。环境问题是关系人类社会的全面问题和应当涉及的人类未来的现实问题,它要求第四纪环境工作者思考自己的科学问题时具有强烈的社会意识。所以它又是一门属于人的科学。从国际上看,“Science”和“Nature”两杂志都在2003年度的科学进展中把环境中古气候变化研究列为年度的进展。而在国内,从1999～2003年5年来地质大调查取得了一系列重大的阶段性成果,其中有10个方面成果具有划时代的意义。其中4项是直接与第四纪环境有关。地质学目前正在进行学术上的转型,从单一的地质问题研究向综合的地球系统科学研究转变,从主要提供资源保障向资源和环境保障并重转变。这种转变把第四纪环境研究从学术水平上被提升到社会需求水平。这要求它积极考虑最近诺贝尔奖获得者P.J.Crutzen等科学家所提出的“人类世(Anthropocene)”这一新的研究方向。作者提出,“人类世(Anthropocene)”是研究大约10000年以来人类活动和自然环境构成的地球系统的变化及适应的可持续发展性。这一研究在中国已有了很好的基础和开端,但还不能满足当前国家发展的需求,所以第四纪环境工作者还应像开拓者一样,不断努力

DEMAND OF ANTHROPOCENE STUDY IN THE NEW STAGE OF GEOSCIENCE:IN HONOR OF LATE GEOLOGIST HUANG JIQING FOR HIS INNOVATIVE SPIRIT

Quaternary is a cross section of geology and is the latest chapter in geological history including the period of civilization. Environmental problems broadly and substantially affect human societies in the current and in the future. This requires Quaternary environmental scientists to be prepared with a strong sense in recognition of the social responsibilities for orientation of their research interests. In this sense, Quaternary science belongs to humanities. Both Nature and Science, the most popular science journals in the world, listed the progress in the study of paleoclimate change as an importantant advance in their annual reports in 2003. In China, 10 significant advances in geology for the period of 1999 ～ 2003 were selected, 4 of which were directly related to Quaternary environment. Geological study is now coming into a profound transition, from individual or purely a geological concern to a comprehensive approach of entire Earth subsystems, and from a purpose of resource to both of resource supply and resource environmental protection. From this transition, Quaternary environmental studies are required to enhance its function for broad social demands, i.e. a new research orientation implied in the concept of the Anthropocene that is introduced by the Nobel Prize laureate P. J. Crutzen and colleagues. According to Chinese history, the Anthropocene should start from 10 000 years B.P. rather than the period from broad industrialization in 1786, and focuses on the issues of Earth system that combines human activities and natural environments, changing mechanisms and developmental sustainability of the system. In China, Anthropocene study has a good start but is far from the demand for the national development. This paper is dedicated to late Geologist Huang Jiqing for his 100 years' birthday.