比较行星地质学的研究方法、现状和展望

Methodology,Achievements and Prospects of Comparative Planetary Geology

比较行星地质学是人类认识自然和人类本身形成与演化的前缘学科,是实现太阳系探测三大科学目标的主要手段。比较行星地质学研究主要回答3个问题:行星的现状是什么样的?行星的过去是什么样的?行星的过去、现在与太阳系其他行星的可比性如何?行星地质学的研究内容与研究地球地质相似,即撞击作用、火山(岩浆)作用、构造作用和夷平作用等,这些是塑造行星地貌最主要的地质作用,其中撞击构造是其他行星更为常见的地质作用。行星地质学的研究方法是利用遥感获得的各种影像、光波和电磁波等数据,以及在行星表面直接勘察获得的数据和取回的样品,对行星表面和地表以下的成分、结构和形成与演化过程进行研究。我国积极参与深空探测将获得第一手行星地质数据,国际深空探测计划的持续实施和数据的广泛共享为中国科学家积极参与行星地质学和比较行星学的研究提供了广阔空间,同时也为研究和认识地球提供新的和更全面的视野。

Comparative planetary geology is a frontier discipline on exploring nature and evolution of human being, and a key to reaching the three major goals of Solar system exploration. Aims of comparative planetary geology include three respects： What are the present planets？ What are their past？ How they can be compared？ Planetary geology focuses on impact catering, tectonic processes, volcanic （magmatic） processes and gradational processes, similar to geology on Earth except impact catering which is imported for understanding early planets history and well preserved on other planets. These are major processes shaping surfaces of planets. Approaches on planetary geology are mainly relied on remotely sensed images, optical and electromagnetic data, and in situ exploration data and returned samples. These data enable geoscientists to reveal surface and subsurface compositions, structures, and origin and evolution of planets in our Solar system. China has stepped into space exploration and is obtaining first-hand space data. These data combined with sharable international space exploration data are spurring Chinese geoscientists to conduct planetary geology and comparative planetology studies, planetary geology study also provides new insight into Earth science.