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8/20/1962 - A Chinese Conference on Tectonics by C. H. G. Oldham

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT 7ORLD AFFAIRS CHGO A Unese Conferemce Tectonics Kotewall Road floor Hon Kong AuEust Mr R H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue New York N Y Dear Mr Nolte The Jul issue Chinese language science Journal Scientla Ke Shyue Tong Baw carried report Geological Society China April meeting PekinE This meetin devoted general discussion problems tectonics I originally translated article language exercise But since article obviously reflects general standard tectonic research China today I thought interest others particularly those earth scientists It sinlficant signs gives change Chinese Government attitude towards science I therefore prepared attached translation JudginE report China senior structural eologists resident Peking attended meeting range subjects briefly rather superficially discussed At least report creates impression superficiality occasional triviality although merely reflect perience recorders always select siEnificant points discussion Also ideas expressed curiously Curiously because there plenty evidence Chinese latest Western literature their libraries Perhaps indicates senior geologists outside their immediate field younger geologists cannot English For example stated agreed earth crust under Atlantic Ocean comparable thickness under adjacent continents This preval Western literature about fifteen years seismic gravity studies carried recent years proved false Perhaps interestin section which geologists frankly discuss shortcomings Chinese tectonic studies several proposals future The suggested projects worthwhile undertaksn results published would general interest tectonophysicists throughout world The sisnificance paper however various topics these topics discussed For despite claims report economic sisnlficance tectonic studies remains topics discussed among academic topics Eeoloy To knowledge first since Communists power Chinese published report discussion subject Some other events which indicate basic chane B takin place hinese Government science policy AboUt months hinese Communists be6an introduce EnEllsh lan6uage studies scale schools collses Prior RUssian chief foreign language taught Abou months Peking University professors brilliant academic records physical sciences previously considered liberals promoted chancellors Peking University In May Dr Claude Bissell President University Toronto visited China China Foreign Minister Chen Yi China increasingly West technical operation The June issue Scientia Sinica Ensllsh languaEe Chinese science Journal carried article The problem enesis classification deposits Tis paper which author seeks understand genesis deposits studying published reports 6eolo6y known But references biblioEraphy three refer Chinese three Russian The mostly references English lanEuage publications including recent A Chinese technical mission currently France studyinE French petroleum industry I believe major trends emer6in6 The first towards closer study Chinese scientific developments Western countries second attention being basic research 6reater academic freedom senior scientists projects their choosing Yours sincerely C H G 01dham Received New York August A DISCUSSION ON SEVERAL THEORETICAL PROBLEMS IN TECTONICS A translation report Sclentia Ke Shyue Ton8 Baw No pages During April Tectonlcs Section Pekin8 Branch Geological Society China first academic conference At meeting extensive discussions place several important theoretical problems tectonics present trends research methods China tectonic studies A The structural characteristics Atlantic Pacific Oceans Based available geological structure Atlantic Pacific Oceans absolutely different The Pacific Ocean primary crustal structural which siallc layer either absent total crustal thickness small Around periphery Mesozoic Cenozoic folded mountain ranges western margin characteristic island There andesite which accompanied ocean trenches It violent earthquakes recent tectonic activities On other Atlantic Ocean which extends north south direction across different structural lines different bounding coasts European American There island there andesite Along entral there submerged mountain range whose strike direction elongation Atlantic Ocean The sialic layer under Atlantic comparatively thick approximately equivalent under bounding continents These facts which everyone recognizes Sun Yu Chu pointed special features paleontology verified Atlantic Pacific Oceans existed ancient times The Atlantic 0cean greatest marine transgression occurred Cretaceous period since completely submered under Translator Notes Sun Yu Chu paleontologist about years He Professor Paleontology Peking University years close associate Professor A W Grabeau He Vice Director Institute Geology Ministry Geology responsible logical education His specialized field Paleozoic fossils China There I nstitutes Geology China under Ministry Geology other under Academia Sinica The former carries geological mapping research practical problems raised field teams latter tackles special problems there appears considerable rivalry between groups For example roups recently compiled A Tectonic Map China The Academia Sinica beln8 scale Ministry Geology scale phenomena continental drift occurred Wan6 Yeh Lung pointed Pacific Ocean primeval further argument therefrom perpetual unchangeable would inaccurate This becnse various parts earth crust continuously changing differences amount nature chanes The Pacific Ocean exception Many speakers meeting attention distribution island their geological structural charac teristics Huan Oni In considered oceanic trenches alon8 Pacific Ocean island frequently accom panied mountain uplifts conformity andesite earthquakes suggest existence these areas super faults which extend mantle This fault reatest characteristics oceans Om Hsians Lin referred structure island He pointed interesting problems In Pacific Ocean island separated their Juntion trendin structural lines But exception Mariana which directly intersects polnt Japanese vicinity Tokyo Besides Chinese coastal provinces Chekiang Fukien other places there violent volcanic activities Mesozoic Cenozoic times Did connection extension Japanese towards southwest On subject structural features Atlantic Pacific continental marins Onan Wen Yu presented opinions He pointed Wan Yeh Lun eologist about years He associated former National Geological Survey Institute Geology Ministry Geolosy His interests general eological survey In deposits Huan Chi Ch T K Huan6 structural geologist about years Formerly Chief Geologist Director National Geological Survey Now Vice Directors Institute Geology Ministry Geology His special tectonlcs China petroleum eoloy He author On Major Tectonic Forms China several other papers academic standard tectonics China He international reputation structural geologist The mantle article earth In footnote authors paper explain there confusion China translation mantle Chinese Some 8eoloists earth curtain because mantle between earth earth prefer Professor Chang Wen Yu earth Ch Hsian Lin I bibliosraphic material Presumably China senior 8eologists newly compiled Soviet I million tectonic independent units Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean differentiated This independent corroboration Chinese point Mob cover recognized respect recent stress field Pacific Ocean subjected effects compressional forces Atlantic Ocean subjected effects tensional forces The widespread large amplitude sinking Pacific accompanied local emergence phenomena For example western coast America there uplifts approximately parallel Cosstal These uplifts across approximately shaped transverse oblique faults He further pointed appears lthouh island curved actually folded overburden formation island controlled basement faulting It possible andesite might product mutual action continental oceanic crusts B Surface distribution structural i0nsh between_the formation lting Yueh Lung recognized students tectonics present divided schools school linear school other curved school The former point lineation consider structures triangular polygonal folding derived faulting The latter consider continental mountain ranges plains oceanic islands circular arcuate shape structures curved there inlaid structures Actually structures linear others curved Huang Chi Ch opinion fundamentally similar aforesaid point pointed manifestations linear arcuate structural lines surface crust different With regard relation between formation folding faulting T Ch Tsun considered faulting often produced Junction rising sinkin areas induced tensional forces This rising sinking movement which connected activityof material mantle proceeds slowly formation faults velop raually tgwards depths Geosynclines produced He emphasized could agree point scholars Chang Wen Yu structural geologist about years He Vice Director Institute Geology Academia Sinica charge lboratory Structural Geology Tectonophysics His special interest tectonics China T Ch Tsun tigrapher paleontologist about He Director former Provincial Geological Survey Hun Province He Institute Geology Ministry Geology His special fields geology Hunsn rovince Devonian stratigraphy paleontology China first there faults later there geosynclines The order events should start Beosyncllnal warping uplift there faults Subsequently early period development geosynclines considerable thickness spillites quartz porphyrie other extrusive magmatlc rocks produced along faults This indicates faults covered buraen Afterwards continued sinking geosyncllnes accumulation mentary material overburden faults became covered therefore basic Ultra basic intrusive bodies formed In cannot indiscriminately consider 6eosynclines related former major faults present still proof He subsequen pointed similarly could agree eoples opinion folding controlled faultinE There field examples which foldinB occurs first followed formation strike faults reverse faults transverse faults ChanB Wen Yu point mechanics general procedure deformation rocks plastic deformation fracturing folding plastic deformatio faultin He emphasized structural development proces basement overburden should mixed Althouh foldin faultinE belong structural stages After basement rocks hardened which approximately compared hardening mechanics materials assume protective effect overburden The application stress causes basement fault overburden At phase entire development process there appears phenomenon control overburden folding basement faulting Soviet scholar V Peive suEgested It impossible objective existence If stress increased further still result production faults overburden It possible these faults continuation faults controlled effect overburden folding dependin actual eological conditions existin place their formation Not consider continuous development continuity structures distinguish between their phases consider their continuity Only understandinE structural development process C The _between ontal dvertiq other problems These problems which debated received attention deserve meeting For example Wan Yeh LunE pointed there existed funda mental differences between structural eologists linear school those curved school relationship between horizontal movements vertical movements The former recog vertical risin sinking movements consider horizontal movements secondary derivative On other latter consider crustal structural movemeuts mainly horizontal ments vertical movements secondary They excessively emphasize importance horizontal movements extent hardly recognize vertical movements Ch Hsians Lin referred horizontal movements occurred Alpine Caledonian folded belts He considered althoush present horizontal vertical schools attention physical chemical conditions material interior earth their different starting points their conclusions fundamentally opposed The horizon talists emphasize convection material places whereas verticalists emphasize differentiation material He pointed analytic methods facies formation classical tectonics should especially noted crustal movements every 8eoloical period verti horizontal manifested throush differentiation transportation deposition 8eologic material To Judge intensity amplitude vertical rising sinkin movements simply thickness sedlmentry rocks thorough unreasonable Wan Yeh Lun earth continuously revolvin around related movements other planets solar system rotatin about Therefore crustal movements complex Apart vertical horizontal movements there tanentlal movements produced earth rotation Also conditions crustal movements globe equator poles different Many speakers especially emphasized investisation types causes crustal movements difficult complicated problem Not effect external causes considered important conditions earth interior considered Special attention should characteristics material which constitutes mantle under temperatures pressures manner movement materlal Huang Chl Ch Ing polnted significance research structure upper parts mantle activity change material there directly influence movements changes earth crust crustal movements which directly influence activity mantle material T Ch Tsun similar viewpoint He emphasized importnce theory isostasy considered there uneven distri bution earth crust The variation depth Moho discontinuity related effects isostatic adjustment mantle material Deep ocean trenches island large scale crustal warping formation venation 6eosynclines effects equilibrium adjustment mantle material ChanE Wen Yu considered earth rotation expansion contraction factors production structural stress field The 8eneral development process earth consists mainly contraction expansion secondary expansion contraction mantle crust uneven In unified stress field vertical horizontal forces exist aspects unified force action changing space conditions At certain certain place under certain conditions forces manifested mainly horizontal ments mainly vertical movements At meeting enthusiastic discussion China present tectonic rsearch trends methods carried All participants considered recent years tectoni research developed comparatively rapidly being certain accomplishments achieved But short comings evident example The practical spirit fully developed There insufficient basic being micro structures stratigraphy result several mistakes classification structural units regions Only continental areas studied There insufficient development exploration Relevant these shortcomings participants suggested valuable proposals about central problems future research research methods themselves The problems Intensify study oceans especially eological structural studies China continental shelves shallow water areas Continuously accumulate exploration carry temperature pressure experiments order solid foundation development geological research earth interior Develop China Mesozoic Cenozoic structural studies Carry study geological characteristics mutual relationship between Pacific Mediterranean With regard research methods Wen Yu again emphasized importance ordination combination following analytic methods The analysis geologic history analysis geomechanics The analysis The phrase which I translated practical spirit Chinese saying which Mac Tse Tun6 promulgated formation analysis formation The analysis formation analysis deformation The analysis burden structures analysis basement structures He attention model experiments tectonics established foundation research small scale structures Research steos shallow surface interior Huan6 Chi Ch Hsieh Chia Yung Sun Tien Ch others pointed tectonics subject which deals movements changes development crust different angles sides Therefore first accumulate different fields stratigraphy paleontology structural 6eology 6eomechanics 6eophysics geochemistry astro physics Afterwards these organically connected other order obtain rules This first The search explanation origln crustal movements other theoretical problems Finally everyone expressed their departments concerned would strengthen their operation Would exchange information would strive collect important foreign scientific literature would raise standard quality regional survey would conce ntrate talent carry composite analysis discover problems develop theoretical After strivln6 several years further advance country tectonic research cause fatherland reconstruction contribu tions search forecasting mineral deposits foundation problems engineerin6 projects Remarks This report based corrected notes They speaker therefore quite possible there omissions their original meanln6 apprehended correctly These faults responsibility writers Chan6 Pu Ch I Chan6 Chlu Hal I3 Hsieh Chia Yun6 economic geologist In Professor Economic Geology Peking University He works Institute Geology Ministry Geology His special field deposits worked tectonics China particularly relation mineral deposits I0 Sun Tien Ch In6 structural geologist about years He Vice Director Institute Geomechanics Ministry Geology His special fields tectonics Quartlary 61aciatlon This apology humbly echoed translator Chan5 Pu Ch Chan6 Chiu Hal I bibliographic these recorders meetlng Presumably young geologists