The Effects of the Scientific Survey on the Tibetan Plateau for 50 Years

LIU TUNGSHENG

The fifty years for scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau is that accompanied with the foundation and growth of the Peoples Republic of China, and that represented scientific progresses, national unity and economic development in Tibetan areas. It is the most praiseworthy scientific practice in Chinas science research during the fifty years. Many of us, from youth to old age, have been working for it for nearly fifty years. We not only contributed our youth stage but also all the lives. Look back the past, we are gratified for the history of ourselves connecting with that of the Tibetan people. We regard and cherish it as an honor in our life for having participated in the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau.

Many new discoveries of scientific contents, new understanding of scientific laws, and new contribution to national economic have been constructed during the fifty years scientific on the Tibetan Plateau. If these activities are considered as the base for the research structure of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, there should be another layer above the base. That is the scientific idea and its processes, influence of this practice. Scientific activities and scientific idea are interactive and reciprocally causative. To the result motivated in the processes of scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, I name it as ‘scientific effect of scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau，and also briefly called as ‘Tibet effect. We should express heartfelt thanks to a Tibet-based author Ma Lihua and her work Boundless Tibet. She expresses the Tibet effect vividly in literary language. The common feature of characters in her book is that, just like one who has attended a victorious battle, each of them considers the sentence I have attended the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau as the symbol of a qualified scientist and one of the members who have performed immortal exploits for our country. ‘Tibet effect is a kind of social effect, also a mechanism of scientific activity and a scientific paradigm. Before we discuss ‘Tibet effect it is significant to briefly compare and review the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau and the similar surveys in the world scientific history.

The scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau has its own position in the history of natural science survey. This scientific practice is an unprecedented, successful and internationally scientific activity no matter what is from the organizing pattern or from the carried process. Since the foundation of the Peoples Republic of China, and earlier started from ‘Xizang Work Team of State Council of the Peoples Republic of China?in 1951, the idea that, serving the Tibetan people and considering Tibet as a potential and under developing area to scientifically investigate and study, has always run through the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. It has lasted for nearly 50 years until 1999, the implementation of State Key Project on Fundamental Research Planning "Formation and Evolution of Tibetan Plateau with Its Environment and Resource Effects" which was constituted according to the national demand and progresses of 50 years scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. For fifty years, the scientific surveys on the Tibetan Plateau organized by Chinese Academic of Science and many other departments and units have already formed a network. This network certainly includes works of the scientists and technicians of Qinghai, Tibet, Sichan, Yunnan, Gansu and that of the Peoples Liberation Army. Among them, the most representative one is that organized by CAS.

The features of these activities may be drawn out from these surveys in the 50 years. That is they are continuous in time sequence, kept enlarging in space from south to west and north as well as from sites to regions, kept increasing from the participating persons and subjects Compared with the other similar scientific surveys, which are temporally significant, we can summarize the characteristics of that on the Tibetan Plateau. Scientific survey is a basic activity of natural science research and makes nature as its laboratories. From the view of the structure of scientific activity mentioned above, if we consider basic scientific experimentation, scientific thinking and its effect as the parts of scientific survey, the producing of ‘Tibetan effect is not only because of the interaction between scientific survey and nature but also because of the social environment. The process of scientific survey is also a process of knowledge spreading. Every part of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau is more like that in a network. They are dependent, improved and developed with each other. The common scientific recognition in this network that exists in different subjects, among different scientists is a result accompanied by the knowledge spreading process of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, and also is a scientific paradigm. We name it as ‘Tibet effect.

The feature of ‘Tibet effect is its great cohesion. The foundation, growth and development of Chinas Society on the Tibetan Plateau are the symbols of this great cohesion in the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. In the history of natural scientific survey in 20th century and during the period of nearly half of a century, why the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau has great cohesion and kept attracting so many lofty persons to work deeply and widely in this extremely hard environment? Before we talk about the effects, we should firstly think of many unknown heroes. They have maybe leaded horses for us, carried stones for us, driven cars for us and cooked food for us. Besides them, those who contributed intelligence and labor for the design and practice of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, no matter famous or unnamed, are the worthiest of being memorized and respected. At the firstly issuance ceremony of ‘Boundless Tibet the Tibet-based author Ma Lihua especially told us her feeling. She called Mr. Sun Honglie as the ‘son of Tibet to express the respect for his tens of years works and subsequently created ‘Tibet effect.

These lead me to think about the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. The cohesion of this scientific survey should come from: (1) The concept from region to global are gradually built in the knowledge spreading process of the survey. This makes the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau have established continuity based on stage result during the 50 years period, and have kept attracting people to put new idea on the study of Tibetan Plateau. Based upon the results from basic research, the survey has deepened the scientific recognition and made people realize that the scientific research of the Tibetan Plateau is not a scientific activity that only focused on short-terms goal. Each subject has enlarged its spatial range of study for filling the contents of it. The tendency that the scientific research of the Tibet research has kept spatially extending shows that this study is not only limited in the local areas of the Tibetan Plateau. For an example, the study of plate tectonic was initiated by the walking of Prof. Chang Chengfa along the suture line of Yarlung Zangbo, and to Altun Mountains, to Hengduan Mountains. The enlarging of study areas is that of discoverable problems which are resulted from the recognition deepening. There are new discoveries in the new areas. In the fields of meteorology, biology and other subjects related to the research of the Tibetan Plateau, the problem of from region to globe is generally existed. It is just like what Mr. Sun Honglie said that the Tibetan Plateau is not only important in China but also significant in the world. ‘Tibet effect has made us understand that region represents globe which is the fundament in the basic research of earth science. The result of 50 years studies on the Tibetan Plateau has let us feel the disappearance of the borderline between region and globe and prompted us to break the spatio-temporal limit in some aspects. It has also increased our understandings to the theory of "the more regional, the more global" under the opportunity of coming Digital Earth era.

(2) The knowledge spreading process and interaction among the different subjects has strengthened the infiltration and transformation among them and attracted young people to do their best. For many years, we have been advocating intercrossing or infiltration among different subjects, but it has produced less effect on the earth sciences. The reasons of fewer results are not only influenced by persons, but also due to the improper infiltrative environment and the insufficient infiltrate time. The 50 years scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau has not only provided enough time but also the conditions of broad area. The works, which are beyond the study areas of them, appeared frequently and built the roads for the creation. For examples, the infiltration of atmospheric science and Plateau uplifting, the syncretizing of vapors passageway and the natural environment of great canyon in Yarlung Zangbo were not easily to achieve under the condition of single subject and no knowledge spreading. In this context, the more mature one is the combining in geomorphologic works between Plateau uplifting and the geological research of Tertiary strata in the periphery basins of the Tibetan Plateau. With the development of the new round of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, the ‘Tibetan effect of inter-infiltration will be deepened and attract more persons of young generation.

(3) The knowledge spreading process and effect of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau is a kind of catalyst for the personal prominence, and a symbol for the cohesion of scientific and technologic power. The combination of the scientific survey and the mountain climbing in our country in early time has taken great catalytic effect to the scientific research on the Tibetan Plateau, especially to the aspect that the study was leaded to explore natural mystery. It was the mountaineers who leaded the scientific survey members to the highest summit in the earth and made people pursue scientific discoveries as well as to find science. It was the red line of the mountaineering expedition that made the scientific survey members have recognized the valuable power of the group, and recognized that this was a red line that not only linked to the lives of themselves but also connected to the scientific lives. The participating of mountaineering and scientific survey has also taken the effect of purifying our soul. The scientific survey members come from different subjects and different units, and they still return to where they come from after the finishing of scientific survey actions on the Tibetan Plateau. It seems that the survey and research on the Tibet Plateau has brought improvement and success to each person. At present, there are more than 20 academicians of CAS and CAE among the members who have participated in the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. This is a kind of ‘Tibet effect which is cheering and thought-provoking. May we ask which institution has trained or prompted so many academicians appearing? Chinas Society on the Tibetan Plateau has just 10 years history. Compared with the other academic associations, it is just like a younger brother. However, it has more than 20 academicians who are actively concerned with its activities and the number of this group will be continuously increased. This cheering fact let me think of a sentence of a famous mountaineer, George L. Mallonyan Englishman who had appeared in the lush sub-tropical forests and under the snow white glaciers, had been lost for nearly a century and found again. "Because it is there." It is just why people go forward to the highest summit on the earth. This sentence with philosophical flavor has become a diction, for which everyone has his own understanding. I thought that the sentence said by the person like Mallony represented the ambition to conquer nature. Only the person who has worked on the Tibetan Plateau can marvel at the huge height of the mountains when he is facing to the Himalayas Mountains. It not only makes us feel the great of the world, but also enlarges our own little world and widens our visual field. Such environment stimulates us to produce the desire, just like Mallony, to conquer and surmount nature in our study areas. This is the best nutrition for scientific research. It maybe likes the magical catalyst to accelerate our creative ability, to make everyone burst out the innovative power and create many achievements worthy of being remembered. This is why we have more than 20 academicians. The desire to conquer nature is the driving power of the scientific research. It has made such kinds of scientists appear in the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. Those are the scientists who have super high mountain survey records for having continuously worked for 50 days at 6000 m asl of Mt. Qomolangma and at 7000 m asl of Mt. Xixiabangma, the scientist who has worked for nearly ten years in a wooden house in the forest, the scientists who have put their post to the experimental stations. The spirit of devoting oneself to the lofty scientific research is the cohesion of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, and the ‘Tibet effect that may be felt by people.

(4) The scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau can produce the effect of enlargement and wide spreading. With economic development and social-cultural improvement, the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, as a kind of knowledge spreading, makes us recognize the society developing tendency which is affected by and outside of science and technology. The coming of information era, the increased intervening of news media and the concerning from enterprises or enterprisers have made people, including us produce new recognition and new ardently love to the Tibetan Plateau. This tendency has made us notice that the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau is gradually from exploitation and utilization of resources and the development of agriculture to producing general and comprehensive social effect. By climbing, traveling, summer camps, environmental protection and biodiversity, by development of science and technology and improvement of labors quality, by inheriting and development of science and culture, a new era of knowing the Tibetan Plateau is been formed at present. At this time, the basic works of our 50 years scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau scientific survey, the scientific theories for exploitation and utilization of resources and the conceiving for development of agriculture will exert their effect widely. This tendency will also raise new questions and claims to the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, which will be solved in the conducting of the project "Formation and Evolution of Tibetan Plateau with Its Environment and Resource Effects". ‘Tibet effect is also a kind of effect with demonstrative function. It is consultatively valuable to the other basic researches during the period of speed economic development in our country. The difference of scientific questions among different subjects is that of scientific contents, but the scientific idea that is at the upper level of the structure of a scientific activity may be interconnected among different subjects. It is not only in China but also in the world that has similar scientific activities to the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau. The forms of their structure may be valuable for our consultation.

Currently, international plans of natural sciences are focusing three aspects according to needs of social development. The first is the integration, which takes the pattern of the participation by different subjects and different countries or regions. The second is the foresight which farthest satisfy the present social needs and precedentedly discover the problems and their solving methods. The third is the long-term. From the requests of the above two aspects, it is necessary to have enough time, just like International Geosphere and Biosphere Plan (IGBP). Its preparatory stage is ten years (1982-1992) and first actualizing stage needs ten years (1992-2002). Moreover, it has probability of changing for adapting to the development of circumstance. Those projects started from 20th century may extend to 21st century. Here, I only list some international plans, which are similar to the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau.

(1) International Geophysics year (IGY) A

(2) Man and Biosphere (MAB) A

(3) International Geology Comparison Plan (IGCP) AB

(4) International Hydrology Ten-year A

(5) International Dynamics Plan (renamed to International Lithosphere Plan) AB

(6) International Continent Drilling Plan (CDP) B

(7) International Ocean Drilling Plan (ODP) B

(8) International Geosphere-Biosphere Plan (IGBP) A

These international plans are similar to the scientific survey on Tibetan Plateau, even in the scale and the lasted time. Among them, those marked as ‘A category only provide ideas and do not organize actual projects, such as IGBP. Those of ‘B category are the projects which have clear aims and actual organizations and plans, like CDP and ODP. In addition, those of ‘AB category have owned features of both ‘A and ‘B.

From the structure of the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, it belongs to ‘B category which focuses on actual study. However, it has another aspect of offering ideas. The foundation and effect of Chinas Society on the Tibetan Plateau as well as its appeal and academic activity are offering ideas. The effects of the uplifting of the Tibetan plateau to environment and human beings which is raised in the scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau is also offering ideas. The actualizing of "Formation and Evolution of Tibetan Plateau with Its Environment and Resource Effects" is still offering ideas. The scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau is not only a name of a project, but also represents the researching direction and trend, and have influenced the researches of some people during a long time period, including the units and persons who have joined or not in the project within the study network of the Tibetan Plateau. Considering the 50 years scientific survey on the Tibetan Plateau, the effect of both "Offering ideas" and "gaining achievements" can promote the scientific development. It is the reason why the current international scientific plans emphasize on the appearance of new active idea, and get rid of man-made frame. Another effect of "offering ideas" to basic research is that some scientific thoughts can be realized today and some can be brought into reality in future because they are still the seeds for scientific renovation.