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International scientific organization

IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences

The Union was founded in March 1961 after having ascertained the need to have an international coordination of geoscientific research programs on a permanent basis. It is essential to act on global geological problems also in the time span going from an International Geological Congress (started in 1876) and the next, traditionally held every four years. IUGS also serves as a vital connection for solving problems requiring an interdisciplinary input from other scientific organizations operating under the aegis of the International Council for Science (ICSU). Compared to these, IUGS was a newcomer, although some of its responsibilities had been performed by the International Geological Congress – an ancient institution with an age of over a hundred years.

Since 1961, IUGS has had a fast increase of members, has perfected its scientific goals and expertise and has achieved an international reputation. IUGS promotes dialogue and communication between the various specialists in Earth sciences, worldwide. It accomplishes this task by organizing international projects and meetings, sponsoring symposia and scientific excursions and producing publications. The topics range from fundamental research to its economic and industrial applications, from scientific issues to environmental and social ones up to those teaching and those connected to the development.

IUGS's operational purposes are: to identify and define critical problems for understanding Earth and planetary geological processes; encourage the formulation and testing of new concepts, models and geological methods; focus international efforts on the study of critical problems in the economic or environmental fields whose solution may depend on geology; promoting international agreements on terminology and classification of various geoscientific disciplines such as stratigraphy, petrology and tectonics; strengthen mechanisms that favor international cooperation in geological research and exchanges; improving the publication, dissemination and use of geological information internationally; encouraging new partnerships between scientific disciplines that have ties with geology around the world; attract good students and researchers and stimulate an excellent education in geology; promote a growing awareness among researchers around the world, on how geological research programs are being carried out in each country; promote a better knowledge and appreciation by the general public of our planet and its study; promote the public welfare by ensuring that geology give its contribution to the global nature of political decisions.

The Report 2019 CNR-IUGS-IGCP  (see Reports IUGS hereafter) contains information regarding geosciences Italian community involvement in IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) and in IGCP (International Geosciences Programme).
The Report contains also the complete list of the current IGCP projects on the new Deep-Time Digital Earth (DDE) Program.

Info

Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences
26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Xicheng District - 100037 Beijing - China
Web site: http://www.iugs.org/

Delegate

prof. RODOLFO CAROSI

Università degli Studi di Torino
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
via Valperga Caluso, 35 - 10125 Torino
Phone number: 011 6705864
Email: rodolfo.carosi@unito.it

Substitute delegate

dott. BIAGIO GIACCIO

CNR
Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria (IGAG)
Via Salaria km 29,300 - 00015 Montelibretti (RM)
Phone number: +39 06 90672732
Email: biagio.giaccio@cnr.it

Reports IUGS

Commission CNR-IUGS: documents

Last update: 09/07/2025