INQUA

International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)

The International Union for Quaternary Science (INQUA) was established in 1928 and exists to encourage and facilitate the research of Quaternary scientists in all disciplines. To this end:

  • Five Commissions (Coastal & Marine Processes; Humans & the Biosphere; Palaeoclimates; Stratigraphy & Chronology; Terrestrial Processes, Deposits & History) provide leadership in different spheres of research, and are responsible for ensuring that INQUA scientists remain at the forefront of their fields.
  • INQUA is committed to promoting collaborations among scientists around the world. It places special emphasis on assisting early career and developing country researchers to become involved in international projects.
  • The Executive awards grants for running meetings to assist in planning such projects.
  • INQUA continues to encourage Quaternary associations around the world to join its more than 50 national and regional Members in an on-going bid to be all-inclusive.

International Council for Science

INQUA is a full Scientific Union member of the International Council for Science


Click here to download INQUA's statement on climate change


The Quaternary Period in Earth History:

The Quaternary Period spans the last 2.6 million years of the Earth's history. The Quaternary is an interval with dramatic and frequent changes in global climate. Warm interglacials alternated with cold ice ages. The Earth is right now entering a time of unusually warm climate. Significant and potentially rapid environmental changes could pose major challenges for human habitability.

The expertise of Quaternary scientists is to interpret the changing world of the glacial ages and their impact on our planet's surface environments. Quaternary palaeoclimatic investigations play a key role in the understanding of the possible future climate change on our planet.