我国古地理学的形成、发展、问题和共识

ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, PROBLEMS AND COMMON VIEWPOINT OF PALAEOGEOGRAPHY OF CHINA

古地理是研究地质历史时期和人类历史时期的自然地理特征的科学 ,有重要的地学理论意义和生产实践意义 ,还与人类赖以生存的古今地理环境密切相关。我国古地理学来源于地层学、地史学、大地构造学、古生物学、沉积岩石学、自然地理学、第四纪地质学、考古学、人类历史地理学等 ,因此就相应地产生和形成了地层古地理学 (或地史古地理学 )、构造古地理学、生物古地理学、岩相古地理学 (或沉积古地理学 )、自然地理古地理学、第四纪古地理学、人类历史古地理学等分支学科。有许多类型的古地理图 ,如构造古地理图、生物古地理图、岩相古地理图、示意的或定性的古地理图、定量的古地理图、不同比例尺的古地理图、当今界限的古地理图、非当今界限的古地理图等。古地理图是古地理研究的集中表现 ,是古地理学的生长点。我国的古地理学有 4个主要的发展趋势 ,即从单一到综合 ,从定性到定量 ,从手工作图到计算机作图 ,从理论到应用。《古地理学报》的创刊和开始进入我国科技期刊的先进行列是我国古地理学发展历史中的一件大事。 2 0 0 2年 12月香山科学会议第197次学术讨论会围绕“多信息的古地理重建”这个主题 ,通过充分的讨论和争呜 ,对我国古地理学的发展前景达到了共识 ,即根据多学科的、多层圈的、多时代的?

Palaeogeography is a science which studies natural geographical features in the geological history and humankind history. It is of important theoretical and practical significance, and closely related with past and present geographical environments in which humankind lives. Palaeogeography of China comes from stratigraphy, historical geology, tectonics, palaeontology, sedimentary petrology, natural geography, Quaternary geology, archaeology, human historical geography, etc.. Thus branch disciplines such as stratigraphic palaeogeography, tectonic palaeogeography, palaeontological palaeogeography, lithofacies palaeogeography (or sedimentary palaeogeography), natural geographic palaeogeography, Quaternary palaeogeography, human historical palaeogeography, etc. are originated and developed. There are many types of palaeogeography maps, such as tectonic palaeogeography maps, palaeontological palaeogeography maps, lithofacies palaeogeography maps, sketchy or qualitative palaeogeography maps, quantitative palaeogeography maps, palaeogeography maps on different scales, palaeogeography maps with present boundaries, palaeogeography maps with nonpresent boundaries, etc.. Palaeogeography maps are the concentrated expression of the study of palaeogeography, and are the growth point of palaeogeography. Palaeogeography of China shows 4 main tendencies, i.e. from single to comprehensive, from qualitative to quantitative, from manual mapping to computer mapping, and from theory to practice. Starting publication of Journal of Palaeogeography and stepping into the line of advanced journals of China are an important event in the development of palaeogeography. At the Xiangshan Science Conference 'Palaeogeographic Reconstruction by Multiinformation', through full discussion and debate, a common viewpoint on the prospects of palaeogeography of China was reached. On the basis of multidiscipline, multisphere, multiage, mainly firsthand and mainly quantitative information, it is time to compile palaeogeography maps from the Changcheng Period to Quaternary Period and humankind history on various scales.This is a huge project. Let us make efforts together, and strive for early realization of this great target with both historical significance and practical significance.