依据美国科学信息研究所（ISI）的基本科学指标数据库（ESI），分析了过去20年国际地学领域著名科学家的国别和机构分布状况及国际地学过去10多年成果产出最多、论文被引频次最多、篇均被引频次最高的一些研究机构，从中选出了过去10多年国际地学研究影响力较大的 3个研究机构。对这些机构的特征进行了归纳总结，并分析了对我国相关机构发展的启示。

Based on the essential scientific index database issued by the Institution of Scientific Information (ISI), the national and institutional distribution of nearly 250 top scientists in geosciences in past twenty years has been analyzed in the paper. Also, some top institutions ranking in geosciences by papers, citations and citations per paper from January 1993 to August 2004 are introduced briefly. The article selects 3 institution, describes in detail the general characteristics of these institutions. Suggestions relating to development of some institutions in China are put forward based on the result of our empirical analysis. 