国际末前寒武系研究展望

Prospects for international research of the Terminal Precambrian System

地球历史长达46亿年,可是在国际年代地层表中,系(纪)以及更详细的划分直到目前还仅限于距今大约6亿年以来寒武纪开始之后的显生宙(Phanerozoic)。一个笼统的术语“前寒武纪(Precambrian)”,包括太古宙(Archean)和元古宙(Proterozoic),概括了寒武纪以前长达40亿年之久、占整个地球历史85％以上的漫长时期(Hedberg,1976)。这种极端的不平衡在一定程度上客观地反映出地质学家在前寒武系研究中所遇到的巨大困难。

The Late ProterOzoic Era was a time of significant tectonic, biogeochemical, climatic, and biological changes. Any system definition will require a characterization of Earth history during the time interval in question, as well as what came before and afterward. Thus, in agreement with A. H. Knoll and M. A. Fedonkin's suggestion, the primary task of the Working Group is to promote basic research.As a new systemic unit in the Global Standard Chronostratigraphic Scale, the Terminal Precambrian System will be defined and correlated on the basis of a Stratotype section. Countries and regions where stratotype candidates of this new system are possibly to be established include at least China, USSR and Australia, etc. as known at present. It can be predicted that with development of the international research our knowledge about the Terminal Precambrian System will be increased rapidly in the next decade.