The 30th International Geological Congress was held in Beijing, China in August 1997. Leading scientists convened to present their findings and views to the international geological research community. Volume 1 of 26 focuses on the origin and history of the earth. All articles in the proceedings have been refereed and keynote papers have been included in Volume 1. These proceedings aim to present a view of contemporary geology and should be of interest to researchers in the geological sciences.
Part 1 Keynote papers: the earth sciences and society - the needs for the 21st century, W.S. Fyfe; geological environments in China and global change, Liu Tungsheng; sustaining our life support system, P.J. Cook; tectonic evolution and uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, Xiao Xuchang and Li Tingdong. Part 2 Origin and history of the Earth: mantle degassing and origin of the atmosphere, Youxue Zhang; pulsation model of mantle differentiation - evolution, geochronological, geochemical, petrologic and geodynamic implications, Yu.A. Balashov; geochronology, accretion and tectonic framework of Precambrian continental crust of eastern China, Sun Dazhong et al; Pangaea cycles, Earth's rhythms and possible Earth expansion, Wang Hongzhen et al; on crustal accretion and mantle evolution in Qinling orogenic belt, Zhang Benren et al; episodic growth of the continental crust in SE China - Nd isotopic approach, Zhou Xinhua et al; on the way from plate tectonics to global geodynamics, V.E. Khain; oxygen isotope fractionation in MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 polymorphs - implications for the chemical structure of the mantle and isotopic nonequilibrium in mantle assemblages, Zheng Yongfei; mesoproterozoic microbiotas of the northern hemisphere and the Meso-Neoproterozoic transition, V.N. Sergeev; histological study on the Neoproterozoic organism's fossil remains - implications for origin of multicellularity and sexuality, Zhang Yun; climatic and geodynamic significance of Cenozoic land surfaces and duricrusts of inland Australia, H. Wopfner.