18世纪中期地质学作为一个庞大的独立知识领域从自然科学中划分出来。从19世纪70年代起便开始进行了紧张的各种各样的地质学研究。许多科学问题也随之产生,明显地形成了许多地质领域的分支。在查明只靠一国力量而无法解决的一些理论和实际问题时单一的文献资料不能满足要求,因为这些资料刊登在多种科学杂志和专著中。所有地 In the mid-18th century geology was divided from natural science as a vast area of ​​independent knowledge. Since the 1870s, a great variety of geological studies have been conducted. Many scientific problems have also arisen, obviously forming many branches of the geological field. A single source can not meet the requirements of identifying some theoretical and practical issues that can not be solved by a single nation alone because it is published in a variety of scientific journals and monographs. All