DEEP SEA SEDIMENTS AND EARTH SYSTEM

A series of breakthroughs in deep-sea sedimentology since the 1950s brought the long-term stagnation in sedimentary studies to an end, and meanwhile gave an impetus to the development of various research fields related to the Earth system science. The present paper briefly reviews the international development of deep-sea sedimentology, covering a broad spectrum of aspects ranging from turbidite to contourite, from deep storm to sediment drift, from sediment trap to on-site observation of the BBL, from time series of sedimentation to cabled sea-floor observation, as well as the "source to sink" studies connecting the modern process to sequence stratigraphy, and the role of deep-sea sedimentation in carbon cycling. All the progress has made deep-sea sedimentology a crucial link in the Earth system science. In the half-century history of deep-sea sedimentology, all the major advances were achieved with offshore on-site observations and benefited from interdisciplinary approaches with neighboring sciences, and were associated with large international research programs which were almost all focused on areas off the American and European coasts. At the present, China is experiencing its golden age to develop deep-sea sedimentology. Aside from the enhancement of research budget and equipment, an urgent need in China is to launch large-scale deep-sea research programs. The paper concludes with three suggestions concerning the future directions of deep-sea sedimentology in the country.