地质年代学主要数据库现状分析与展望

Analyses of Current Main Geochronological Databases and Future Perspectives

地质年代学包括绝对地质年代学和相对地质年代学两大主要分支。历经百余年发展,地质年代学在理论体系、技术手段和分析方法等方面均取得了显著进步。因此,现代地质年代学在获取数据的质和量方面都有极大地提升。不同定年方法在适用温度范围内相互衔接、相互印证,所能揭示的地质演化历史也更为完整。如以高时间分辨率和高空间分辨率为代表的同位素年代学研究,分别提供了高质量的精确定年数据和海量的微区分析结果,搭建起了地质事件的精细时间框架,为理解地质事件的过程、速率以及地球系统协同演化奠定了基础。在地质年代学数据海量增长的同时,数据的储存和管理也日益得到重视。以数据集成、共享和互通为目标,一批数据库应运而生。文章尝试系统梳理地质年代学领域已有的主要数据库,并结合高时间分辨率定年和高空间分辨率分析领域的研究进展,探讨大数据时代进一步发展地质年代学的机遇与挑战。

Geochronology,including absolute radio-isotopic dating and relative dating,is an essential subject of Earth sciences.We have seen significant advances in geochronology in the past century as demonstrated by the developments of theoretical systems,techniques,and analytical approaches,which facilitated both the quality and quantity of geochronology data.Within the suitable range of calibration,various dating methods could confirm each other,and the geochronology system becomes more accurate and explicit.For example,high-precision geochronological results and massive micro-analysis data provide time framework for geological events with unprecedented details.They lay the foundation for both quantifying the processes and rates of geological events and underpinning the coupled evolution of the Earth system.As a response to the dramatic increase of geochronological data,many databases for data management and sharing have been developed.The current paper summarizes the features of the existing geochronological databases,as well as advances in both high temporal and spatial resolution geochronology,to explore the opportunities and challenges of developing geochronology in the big data era.