收稿日期: 2010-05-17
修回日期: 2010-06-21
网络出版日期: 2010-07-10
An International Debate on the Status of the Quaternary as a Formal Chronostratigraphical Unit and the Final Ratification of the Quaternary System/Period
Received date: 2010-05-17
Revised date: 2010-06-21
Online published: 2010-07-10
第四纪（Quaternary）是地球科学中广泛使用的术语，代表地质年代中最晚的时段。在探讨全球环境变化趋势时，第四纪研究具有重要地位。但第四纪作为地质年代和地层单位的地位和底界问题，自18世纪提出以来，在国际学术界中就一直存在不同的观点；尤其是2004年部分权威学者和国际组织提出取消第四纪的方案，引发了激烈的国际大辩论。直到2009年，第四纪在地质年代中的正式地位及其底界划分方案，才最终获得了国际地科联的官方批准。回顾第四纪最初命名到正式地位确定的过程，特别强调了中国科学家立足于黄土等地质记录的研究工作，积极地参加了这场讨论，对于第四纪在地质学中的地位确立做出了重要贡献。
姚玉鹏,刘羽 . 第四纪作为地质年代和地层单位的国际争议与最终确立[J]. 地球科学进展, 2010 , 25(7) : 775 -781 . DOI: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2010.07.0775
The term Quaternary′ has been widely used in the Earth Sciences, representing the youngest time span in the geological history of the Earth. Quaternary research has attracted much attention as it is one of the most important scientific fields for understanding global environmental change. However, a long-running debate over both the status of the Quaternary as a formal chronostratigraphical unit and its base (1.8 Ma versus 2.6 Ma) has existed since the coining of the term in the 18th century. In 2004, the term Quaternary′ was even abandoned by some famous scholars and organizations, leading to a heated international debate. Finally in 2009, a proposal for establishing Quaternary as a formal international Period/System with its base at 2.6 Ma was formally ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Here we first review the history of the term Quaternary′, and then celebrate the historic contribution which the Chinese loess community have made in the effort to retain the term Quaternary′ and to assign it a formal rank in the Geologic Time Scale.
Key words： Quaternary; Pleistocene; Loess; Red clay; Geologic time scale
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