浅谈固体地球科学与地球系统科学

ON THE SOLID EARTH SCIENCE AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE

地球科学在20世纪的诸多进展中,对后来科学发展具有深远影响的基本认识之一是地球演化的行为具有整体性,其不同的圈层确实通过多种途径相互作用,且人类活动已成为地球演化的重要营力之一。这些认识导致地球系统科学思想的产生和发展,并使不同圈层相互作用的过程和机理、人与环境的相互作用研究成为21世纪基础科学研究的前沿。地球系统科学强调地球不同圈层、不同单元相互作用的整体性和关联性,因而科学研究必须从"整体地球系统"的视野出发,但研究过程又必须从关键区域入手。我国是地球系统科学研究的关键地区之一,未来研究应立足地域优势和特色,攻克全球性重大科学问题,解决社会对地球科学的知识需求。

The advances during the 20(th) century in the field of Solid Earth Science have numerously contributed to the emergence of Earth System Science (ESS). ESS aims at understanding the Earth as a synthetic system driven by complex internal and external processes, with special emphasis given to the interactions of geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. It should answer a series of questions about the Earth, such as (1) How the Earth system evolved in the past? What are the driving forces and mechanisms of these changes? What occurs presently in the system with numerous human disturbances and what will be its future? The fundamental of the Earth System Science is to view the Earth located within a crucial region for understanding the basic Earth system processes. The study of ESS also meets China's social requirements as it is likely faced with most serious natural environmental and resource problems. We suggest a number of issues relevant to the traditional Solid Earth Science, which appear to be of importance in the ESS studies in China.