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. This final volume focuses on comparative planetology, geological education and the history of the geosciences. 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 Comparative planetology: influence of continental drift on the tidal evolution of the Earth-Moon system, Masanao Abe et al; multiple impacts at the KT boundary and the deah of the dinosaurs, S. Chatterjee; Hugoniot data for Jilin ordinary chondrite and Nandan iron meteorite, Dai Chengda et al; the 1908 Tunguska explosion - discovery of iridium and other element anomalies, Hou Quanlin and Ma Peixue; high-frequency carbonate cycles of the Middle Cambrian oolitic shoal sequence set on the North China platform - evidence and significance of Milankovitch controlled events, Meng Xianghua et al; on the extraterrestrial impact and plate tectonic dynamics - a possible interpretation, Wan Tianfeng et al; a unique terrestrial occurrence of extraterrestrial microspherules, Wang Erkang et al; Yamato 793605 - a newly identified Martian metoerite from Antarctica, Keizo Yanai. Part 2 Geological education: stimulation of awareness of geoscience knowledge among the mass population of the society, A. Akhtar; the influence of geology teaching on the image of geosciences, A. Bezzi; Earth science education and engineering education from the standpoint of practical experiences, Takeshi Tanaka. Part 3 History of geology - persons and institutes: Professor Amadeus William Grabau (1870-1946) - respected teacher and beloved friend of Chinese geologists, Wang Hongzhen; in memory of Professor Amadeus William Grabau (1870-1946) on the semi-centennial of his death, G.M. Friedman; the global theories of Amadeus W. Grabau (1870-1946) - a retrospective view, U.B. Marvin; Robert Logan Jack, geologist in China, D.F. Branagan; the changing mission of the Geological Survey of Japan in a changing world, Hirokazu Hase and Kisaburo Kodama; Adam Sedgwick and lakeland geology (1822-24), D. Oldroyd; S.S. Buckman (1860-1929), his world-wide Jurassic biochronology and work on Chinese ammonites (1926), H.S. Torrens; in memory of Professor Peter Misch, J.A. Vance and Li Wenda. Part 4 History of geology - geoscience disciplines: the methodology of the researches of geological science - petrology as an example, Dong Shenbao; the role and future of geology in modern integrated environmental research and decision support, G. Jordan and A. Szucs; science across cultures - the case of vertebrate paleontology in China, P. Komarower; modern concepts in paleontology and early life on Earth, Wang Hongzhen and Wang Xunlian; the development of metamorphic geology in China, You Zhengdong; theoretical systematics and methodology of contemporary geochemistry, Yu Chongwen; a brief development history of hydrogeology in China, Zhang Zonghu.