International Union for Quaternary Research

The International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) was founded in 1928. It has members from a number of scientific disciplines who study the environmental changes that occurred during the glacial ages, the last 2.6 million years. One goal of these investigators is to document the timing and patterns in past climatic changes to help understand the causes of changing climates.

INQUA is a member of the International Science Council (ISC). INQUA holds an international congress normally every four years. The congresses serve as an educational forum as well as the opportunity for the various commissions, committees, and working groups to conduct business in person. Past congresses have been held in Copenhagen (1928), Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) (1932), Vienna (1936), Rome (1953), Madrid (1957), Warsaw (1961), Boulder (1965), Paris (1969), Christchurch (1973), Birmingham (1977), Moscow (1982), Ottawa (1987), Beijing (1991), Berlin (1995), Durban (1999), Reno (2003), Cairns (2007), Bern (2011) and Nagoya (2015).

The most recent INQUA Congress (XIX) was held in Rome, Italy, in July 2023. In 2027 the INQUA Congress (XXI) will take place in Lucknow, India between January and February.

Climate change In 2007, the union issued a statement on climate change in which it reiterated the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and urged all nations to take prompt action in line with the UNFCCC principles: Human activities are now causing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases - including carbon dioxide, methane, tropospheric ozone, and nitrous oxide - to rise well above pre-industrial levels….Increases in greenhouse gasses are causing temperatures to rise…The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action….Minimizing the amount of this carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere presents a huge challenge but must be a global priority.

INQUA Congress

+ INQUA Congress & PresidentsINQUA Executive. Retrieved 6 June 2015. Nr. Year Congress Term President Secretary-General 21. 2023 Rome 20. 2019 Dublin 2019-2023 Thijs Van Kolfschoten Eniko Magyari 19. 2015 Nagoya 2015-2019 Allan Ashworth Brian M Chase 18. 2011 Bern 2011-2015 Margaret Avery Julius Lejju 17. 2007 Cairns 16. 2003 Reno, Nevada 15. 1999 Durban 14. 1995 Berlin 13. 1991 Beijing 12. 1987 Ottawa 11. 1982 Moscow Boris Sokolov 10. 1977 Birmingham 9. 1973 Christchurch 8. 1969 Paris 7. 1965 Boulder, Colorado 6. 1961 Warsaw 5. 1957 Madrid 4. 1953 Rome Gian Alberto Blanc 3. 1936 Vienna Gustav Götzinger 2. 1932 Leningrad Ivan Gubkin 1. 1928 Copenhagen Dmitry Mushketov

INQUA Medals

Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal Since 2007 INQUA has awarded biannually the Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal to an "outstanding young [early-career] Quaternary scientist ... working in any branch of Quaternary science".Our organisation > Medals INQUA. Retrieved 31 August 2025.

Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal recipients 2007 Chris Turney 2009 Zenobia Jacobs 2011 Yuki Sawai 2013 Not awarded 2015 Robert E. Kopp 2017 Amaelle Landais 2019 Qiuzhen Yin 2021 Julie Loisel 2023 Qiaomei Fu

Liu Tungsheng Distinguished Career Medal Since 2011 INQUA has awarded quadrennially the Liu Tungsheng Distinguished Career Medal, awarded to "a senior Quaternary scientist who has made significant and distinguished contributions that have advanced Quaternary science through dedicated service to the international community".

Liu Tungsheng Distinguished Career Medal recipients 2011: Stephen C. Porter 2015: Ann G. Wintle 2019: Nicolas Lancaste 2023: Denis-Didier Rousseau

INQUA Distinguished Service Medal recipients 2015: Nathaniel W. Rutter 2019: Marie-France Loutre 2023: Norm Catto

International Union for Quaternary Research

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