FOREWARD

Thebirthof"ACTHSEDIME\TOLOGICASINICA"isacommemorabtedelig-htedeventtoalloftheChineseGeologicalcircle.ItdemarksthatthescienceofsedimentologyhasalreadystandingupandboominginthefieldofChinesegeology.SincetheestablishmentofthePeople'sRepublicofChina,sedimentalogyhadmademangy-achievementsandcontributedherselftothemarchofgeologicalinvest-igationworksinmanyrespects,notonlyintheacademicsidebutalsointhehun-tingofeconomicminerals,aswellasintheteachingsinunii-ersities.Now,sedime-ntologt-isconsideredunanimouslyasoneofthemostimportantbasicsciencestomostofthemaindesciplinesofgeology.Intherecenttwentyyearsorso,parti-cularlyaftertheestablishmentoftheplate-tectonicdoctrine,andthecarryingonAnattached“ACT人SEDIMENTOLOGICASINICA"isessentialtothedevelo-pmentofascience,Becausescientificcommunicationswereimpetustothedeepen-ingandmarchingofinvestigations,Intheformerdays,sedirnentologyhasbeendealingmainlywiththelithologyandsequencesofsedimentarystrata,So,inthattime,sedimentologywasonlykn-ownassedimentarypetrography.Itwasjustasisterscienceofstratigraphy,Suchlikethe《Theprinciplesofstratigraphy》ofA.W.Grabau,andthe《BasicprinciplesofHistoricalGeology》(inRussian)ofH.M.Strahoffwerethebenchmarkpapersofthatsort.But,probablyafterthe50'softhiscentury,sedimentologistshadshi-ftedtheirpendulumofthoughtuponproblemssuchliketheoriginandgenesisofsedimentaryrocksormineraldeposits,thesedimentaryenvironmentsandbackgrou-nds,theevolutionalhistoryofsedimentarymaterials,sedimentaryphysics,sedime-ntarybasins,etc.Inoneword,nowadays,sedimentologyisnolongersimplysedi-mentarypetrography-butrathertheequivalentofepigeneticgeology.Peoplesaysthatthedoctrineofplatetectonicsisabigjumpingeology,now,somebodyagaindeclaredthatthedeci卢haringof"palaeoceans"wouldbethenestbigjump.whatispalaeoceansyApparently,itmustbethosethatsunkenunderthe"mountainranges".Thisiswhythechiefgoalofthe"Lithosphere''projectistowardthecontinents,Obviouslp,therislotsofworkofsedimentolog5-tobedonetothisend.Tobeworkedontheoriginandevolutionofsedimentarybasinsthroughthegeologicalhistory,Tobeworkedagainandre-evaluatethethe-oryofgeosynclines,Andthishastodifferentiatefirstwhata-ouldbethekerneldifferenceoftherealnatureofterrestrialandsuboceanicsedimentaryprocesses,includingweathering,transportationandsedimentation.Theultimatepurposeofscienceistosereathepeople.Therfore,duringthemarchingofoursocialistmodernization,themainworkofsedimentologistsmouldinevitablyfocusedonproblemsofmineralresourceseeplorationandassessment,especiallyresourcesofcrustalenergy,Thus,theoriginofmineraldepositsnatura113"comeupasthemaintarget,Theoriginofmineraldepositsisnolongerasimple