Preface of the Chinese version of “The seismite problem”

During the past 30 years (1987–2016), a great progress has been made in researches of soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) and seismites in China. However, the research thought of the academic field was not open-minded. It was almost with one viewpoint, i.e., almost all the papers of this field published in China considered the beds with SSDS as seismites. In order to change the phenomenon of one viewpoint, Feng et al. (2016) wrote a paper “Researches of soft-sediment deformation structures and seismites in China — A brief review” as “to cast a brick to attract the jade”, emailed this paper to many geologists in China and other countries, and invited them to write papers for the symposium of “Multi-origin of soft-sediment deformation structures and seismites”, to orally present their papers at the symposium, and to discuss the problems of SSDS and seismites. “The seismite problem” by Prof. Shanmugam is the first paper that we have received from those geologists invited by us. It is an excellent paper that covers 153 years researches of geologists worldwide and has 268 references. It is beneficial to the researches of SSDS and seismites in China. The most important contribution of this paper is to challenge and negate the term “seismites” introduced by Seilacher (1969). Therefore, the term “seismites” should be obsoleted. Chinese geologist translated the term “seismites” into “震积岩” (Zhenjiyan) (the beds induced by earthquake and sedimentation). It is a mistranslated term and should not be used any more. Whether the term “seismites” should be obsoleted or not, and whether the term “震积岩” (Zhenjiyan) should not be used any more, these problems should be discussed and determined by numerous geologists in China and worldwide, and should be determined by geological practice. Another important contribution of “The seismite problem” is introduction of triggers and emphasis of liquefaction. 21 triggers and 2 types of soft-sediment constitute the theoretical foundation of the formation process of SSDS. If we utilize the method of “On contradiction” by Tse-Tung Mao (1937), study the formation process of SSDS in which there are many contradictions, and devote every effort to finding its principal contradiction, the SSDS can reveal something about the triggers, i.e., can reveal something about the origin of SSDS.