Translated from www.xinhuanet.com       5^th, Sept. 2004

Prof. Yao Tandong recently revealed to the reporter that there were six major tasks in our investigation of the Tibetan Plateau.

He said that ITP, the newly established research institute of CAS, would use the first-hand statistics obtained from its late expedition to the Plateau and conduct complex studies of the evolution of alpine geological structure, biogenetics, natural resources, etc. He generated them into six major tasks, including:

1)      to identify inner structure of lithosphere and its nature in active regions of plates movements;

2)      to study key geological and landscaping processes during the uplift of the plateau and its interaction with environment;

3)      to illustrate variation of its past climatic environment;

4)      to study alpine atmosphere, ice, earth and correspondence among geo-spheres, as well as their influence on human activities;

5)      to acknowledge the role of the Tibetan Plateau in the variation of East Asian climate;

6)      To set up a database for Tibetan Plateau research.

So far, Chinese research on the Tibetan Plateau includes geodynamics featuring the forming and uplifting of the plateau, Tibetan Plateau to global change, biological adaptation to radical environment and genetic banks. More first rate academic papers of our Tibetan Plateau research will follow up, showing the maturing of Chinese research team and the formation of a center for international Tibetan Plateau research. This research is for the good of the whole human society.