Mr. Li Siguang (1889-1971), a famous geologist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was the founder of China's geological undertakings and contributed many pioneering and landmark works. He not only laid the foundation for China's geological basic scientific research, actively explored applied fields of research, made great contributions to China's oil exploration and development and the successful development of atomic bomb hydrogen bombs, but also trained a large number of geological talents for the motherland.
Mr. Li Siguang | Wikimedia (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46644213)
He has been deeply engaged in the field of Quaternary glaciers in China for many years, demonstrated the existence of Quaternary glaciers in China, and proposed a series of basic theories and working methods of Quaternary glaciation research. His outstanding contributions in the process of scientific research and teaching of glacier geology, his emancipation of the mind, his realistic work attitude and patriotic dedication are worth learning, remembering and inheriting.
China glacier controversy
Chinese Quaternary glacial geology involves geography, geophysics, geochemistry, biology, climatology and astronomy, and is a highly specialized and comprehensive marginal discipline for studying Quaternary climate evolution and environmental change, and is closely related to the development of human history.
In 1921, Professor Li Siguang first discovered Quaternary glacial remains such as glacial strip gravel near Shahe River in Hebei and Datong, Shanxi in north China, and published an English article "Remains of Glaciation in North China" in the British Geological Journal the following year, which opened the curtain on the research and debate on Quaternary glaciers in China. Then, Li Siguang gave an academic report on "Evidence of Quaternary Glaciation in China" at the Third Plenary Session of the Geological Society of China, proposing the existence of Quaternary glaciers in North China.
Glacial landforms | Stand cool Heero
However, at that time, international scholars, represented by the Swedish geologist Anderson, opposed this view, and some even ignored and ridiculed it. Since then, Li Siguang has continued to conduct in-depth research on glaciers in eastern China, conducted field surveys of glacier remnants in Lushan and Huangshan, and published a series of books and speeches. Later, scholars at home and abroad also went to Lushan, Jiangxi province to conduct on-site inspections and discussions, but they did not get a unified understanding.
In the chaos of this hundred schools of thought, although Professor Weisman, who was sent by the League of Nations to the Department of Geography of Nanjing Central University, agreed with Professor Li Siguang's views on glaciers, there were also foreign scholars who opposed the Chinese Quaternary glaciology "in order to maintain their prestige in China"; some scholars lacked the courage to fight and chose an ambiguous attitude of riding the wall.
At this time, Mr. Li Siguang had the courage to put forward his own views and resolutely uphold the spirit of objectivity, fairness and seeking truth from facts. In order to further develop glacial geology research, Li Siguang set up a research working group on Quaternary glacial remains in China in 1960 to conduct investigations and studies. In 1964, former Soviet academician Narikinfu inspected the bedrock ice skating surface on the slope of Long'en Temple in Xishan, Beijing, and rated Li Siguang's glaciation theory as "a glorious page in the geological history of Asia."
Glacial landforms | Pixabay
Glacial climate and humans
Why is it so important to study glaciers? In polar and alpine regions, snow falling on snow lines can deform and displace under isotropic pressure after years of cumulative compaction. In the process of repeated freezing-melting-transport of glaciers, glaciers can transform the topographic landform through erosion, handling and sedimentation, and form various glacier relics, such as various deformation structures and scraping formed by glaciers in the process of transport and pushing; moraines, drifting gravel and other glaciers carry accumulations formed by transport and melting; and then there are various biological remains.
The climate of Earth's history has been constantly changing and migrating. During the glacial stage, the Earth cooled significantly and glaciers around the world developed extensively. The concept corresponding to the ice age is the relatively warm period between the two ice ages, called the interglacial stage. During the interglacial period, due to the warm climate, it is conducive to biological evolution and migration. In the history of the Earth, there have been three major ice ages, each of which is divided into multiple Xiaoice and interglacial periods. Studying glacial-interglacial periods is important to help predict long-term global climate change and its impacts in the future.
The discovery of China's Quaternary glacial period provides an extremely valuable data basis for the study of ancient geology, climatic organisms and ancient humans. The quaternary climate evolution law and the historical changes of the natural environment are very closely related to modern human production and life, and have important value in hydrogeological research, groundwater recharge, runoff drainage dredging, geological engineering construction and mineral resources development and utilization.
The controversy of the new century
"Whether there are Quaternary glaciers in eastern China" was once an important scientific topic in the world, and the discussion and confirmation of this topic has undergone a tortuous and repeated process. However, the conclusion of the stage is not the end of scientific research, with the development of science and technology, in-depth glacier research work is still continuing to carry out, and constantly make new achievements and breakthroughs. Many topics are still repeatedly debated and discussed, and new understandings are gained through continuous in-depth refinement, so the controversy continues.
For example, some scholars have suggested that the evidence of ancient glaciers in eastern China actually only exists in the Taibai Mountains of Shaanxi, the Changbai Mountains bordering Jilin and North Korea, and the Snow Mountains and Yushan Mountains in Taiwan, while there is no glacier development in the Lushan Mountains and the mountains below 2,000 meters above sea level in eastern China. Some scholars believe that the eastern part is located on the edge of the continent, which will lead to different phenomena due to the formation of different glacier types than in the west. Driven by the new perspective, Quaternary glacial geology and other related disciplines have gradually penetrated and developed in synergy, forming a new research situation.
Changbai Mountain | Pixabay
Learning is endless and contentious. Scientific research is a serious undertaking, and we must always uphold a fair and just, objective and realistic attitude and the courage not to superstitiously believe in authority, and strive to make original contributions with a strong foundation and reason. Today, the Quaternary Glacier Relics Museum in China is located at the Quaternary glacier scratches under the Cuiwei Mountain in the western suburbs of Beijing.
The spirit of scientific patriotism is passed down from generation to generation
As the founder of China's geological cause, Mr. Li Siguang is undoubtedly a banner. He is not superstitious about authority and dares to challenge the old. He is tireless and diligent, and has a strong sense of responsibility for the development of China's geology, petroleum and scientific research from the needs of the people. The development of the geological cause before and after the founding of New China can be described as difficult, but he still insisted on saving the country and the people and expressing patriotic feelings. In 1919, Li Siguang, who was about to return to China after seven years of study abroad, wrote "Difficult to Walk", which was also the first violin piece in Chinese history, during a break in His stay in Paris, France.
Mr. Li Siguang | Official website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
On April 29, 1971, Li Siguang passed away, and a note found at the head of his bed read: In a great socialist country like ours, we Chinese the people have the ambition and strength to overcome all scientific and technological difficulties, to open this incomparably huge heat reservoir and make it available to the people.
When old and strong, it is better to move the heart of the white head; poor and strong, do not fall into the ambition of qingyun. Li Siguang has used his life to practice the ideal and belief of serving the country scientifically, and has devoted his life to the prosperity and prosperity of the motherland with practical actions.
Author: Wang Zhuocheng, China University of Geosciences
Editor: Jin Xiaoming Crispy Fish
Typography: Jin Xiaoming
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