情報地質学の歩みと将来  [in Japanese] Development of geoinformatics and its future  [in Japanese]

地質情報の処理に関する研究を目的とし, 地質学と情報学の境界領域として 1970年代に誕生した情報地質学は, 情報技術の進歩に対応した研究成果を積み重ねて, 数理モデルを中心とする数理地質学より広い研究領域をもつ地質学の新しい分野として確立されてきた。日本地質学会における情報地質部会の設立を機に, これまでの情報地質学の歩みを振り返った。今後予想される情報環境の急速な変化の中で, 情報地質学はその対象と手法をさらに拡大し, 地質学の新たな発展に寄与することが期待される。

Geoinformatics, which was born as the boundary science of geology and informatics in the 1970's, has made many contributions to geological information processing in accordance with the development of informations ciences. It is generally accepted as the new branch of geology having a wider field of research than mathematical geology which focuses on mathematical modelling. When the geoinformatics section was established in the Geological Society of Japan, the developing process of geoinformatics was reviewed. Geoinformatics will contribute to the further development of geology by the expansion of its objectives and methods in the rapidly changing information environment in the future.