Recently, the 11th National Quaternary Congress was held in Guiyang,Guizhou with the theme of “monsoon, karst, and ecological evolution”. The Congress was jointly hosted by Chinese Association for Quaternary Research, Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education Chinese Academy of Sciences,Geosciences Department of National Natural Science Foundation, and the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and jointly undertaken by State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, and Environmental Evolution and Process Study Committee of Chinese Association for Quaternary Research. Over 20 researchers from the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology and over 1000 scholars from the Chinese mainland,Hong Kong,overseas universities, and research institutes attended the congress.

Six young scientists who were awarded the Liu Tungsheng Prize for Young Earth Scientists delivered reports as invitedspeakers,and besides there were tensessions for special presentations. Mao Xin, Research Assistant of Quaternary Geology and Environment Laboratory, the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology delivered a report entitled Human Origins and Civilization Evolution, which is related to Middle and Late Holocene Environmental Change of Site Sanfangwan,Tianmen,Hubei and its Impact on Human Activities.Song Chao,Research Assistant of the Loess and Global Change Research Centerdelivered a report entitled Biogeochemical Process and Carbon-Nitrogen Cycle, which is related to Two Turnover Pattern of Carbon Pool in Deep Loess(~100m). The reports are spoken highly of on the congress.

The poster presentation Comprehensive Research on Hetao Basin Deep Drilling BT1 Quaternary Formationgiven by Research Assistant Zhao Hongmei of Quaternary Geology and Environment Laboratory caught attention of Professor Chen Fahu, Vice President of Lanzhou University. Professor Chen and Miss Zhao clarified her work orientation and research thoughts after a face-to-face talk.

By means of plenary lectures,special reports,and oral and poster discussion and information,researchers present at the congress obtained overviews of the international research frontier and deepened their understanding of the research orientation and development of Quaternary geologyand achievements of related subjects, which will promote further research in the Quaternary-related fields.

During the congress, researchers of the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology visited the State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry of the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and had a discussion about laboratory construction,developing history,disciplineorientation,research targets,research facilities, and main achievements.