History of the Institute
A Brief History |
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In 1973, President Ta-You Wu of Academia Sinica authorized the establishment of a seismology group in the Institute of Physics. Led by Dr. Yi-Ben Tsai and with the help from overseas Chinese geophysicists including Francis Ta-Ming Wu and Leon Ta-Liang Teng, this predecessor of IES set up Taiwan's first modern earthquake monitoring network. A Preparatory Office for IES was founded in 1976 to build up research in geochemistry and tectonophysics. IES became a full institute in 1982 and by year 2000 it has added a mineral physics lab and is hosting an atmospheric science group that is the embryo for a future Environmental Change Research Center. Mission of the Institute IES conducts basic research in order to improve the understanding of our earth system. It also applies the acquired knowledge to help with hazard mitigation and resources management. Facilities and Major Research Housed in a lab building with more than 8,000 square meters floor space, IES is well equipped to do earth science research. Major facilities include several isotope ratio mass spectrometers, electron microprobe, diamond anvils for high pressure experiments, Raman spectrometer, broadband digital seismometers, high precision GPS receivers, superconducting magnetometers, computer workstations, a library with most of the key journals, and a fast internet link to connect to the world. At present, IES faculty members are carrying out a wide range of research projects including isotopic studies of the formation of our solar system, structure of earth’s mantle, tectonic evolution of Taiwan, source physics of earthquakes, past climatic changes in East Asia, and pollutant transport in atmosphere. The devastating 9/20/1999 magnitude 7.5 Chi-Chi earthquake with its 15,000 aftershocks has been a powerful wake up call for Taiwan to redouble its earthquake research effort. National Science Council therefore launched a major science-technology initiative that calls for a budget of 1.58 billion NTD over 5 years (2000-2004). In that plan, IES will play a major role in earthquake physics research and crustal deformation study. Moreover, several international collaboration projects are being organized to further enhance Taiwan’s effort by importing technology and expertise presently lacking (e.g. deep drilling, ocean bottom seismometers, more sophisticated modeling).
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| 1969 | Upon the request of Dr. Ta-You Wu, then Chairman of the National Science Council, Professors Ta-Liang Teng and Francis T. Wu proposed a plan for the long-term earthquake research. |
| 1971 | National Science Council established a Seismology Task Force, Dr. Shih-Kao Yiu appointed group head. |
| 1972 | Began to set up islandwide networks of seismometers and accelerographs. |
| 1973 | Seismology Group was formed, attached to the Academia Sinica as a part of the Institute of Physics, Dr. Yi-Ben Tsai became group head. |
| 1976 | The Preparatory Office for the Institute of Earth Sciences established. |
| 1980 | Began to set up the Isotope Geochemistry Group and the Tectonophysics Group. |
| 1982 | The Institute was formally inaugurated and Dr. Yi-Ben Tsai was appointed the first director. The Academic Advisory Committee formed. |
| 1985 | Dr. Yeong Tein Yeh became the acting director. |
| 1987 | Dr. Yeong Tein Yeh became the director. |
| 1989 | Began to set up the High Pressure Lab. |
| 1993 | Dr. Francis T. Wu became the acting director. |
| 1994 | Dr. Yih-Hsiung Yeh became the director. |
| 2000 | Dr. Typhoon Lee became the director. |
| 2004 | Dr. Bor-ming Jahn became the director. |
| 2010 | Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao became the director. |