Field Teaching in Earth and Planetary Sciences Aligned with Disciplinary Development

Since the 1950s, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) has been engaged in postgraduate education. Over the decades, it has trained numerous specialists in fields such as Geology, Geophysics, Geological Resources and Geological Engineering, Planetary Science, and Marine Geology, many of whom now hold prominent positions in academia, government, and industry.

As the scientific disciplines have advanced and integrated, the backgrounds of the Institute's graduate students have become increasingly diverse. In addition to training students from the aforementioned disciplines of Earth Sciences, the institute also admits undergraduates who are majored in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences. Therefore, this shift has made comprehensive field-based instruction essential for bridging the gap between knowledge and practices.

To meet this need, the IGGCAS has developed a series of field teaching programs, including:

(1) Formation and Destruction of the North China Craton: A geological fieldtrip focused on regional tectonic evolution.

(2) Geophysical Field Observation: Practice for data collection and analysis on seismometers.

(3) Space Physics Internship: Field-based course centered on atmospheric and space sciences.

(4) French-Italian-Swiss Alps Fieldtrip: An International Geological Excursion.

These programs are annually conducted in a small-class format led by experts from different disciplines. By combining cutting-edge scientific questions in classic geological sites, these programs can deepen students' understanding of interdisciplinary work and greatly improve their practical research skills.