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JOHN ROSS MACKAY - DEVOTED TUTOR AND BEST FRIEND OF CHINESE PERMAFROST RESEARCH
Session: John Ross MacKay Symposium - Permafrost I / Symposium John Ross MacKay - Pergélisol I
Guodong Cheng, State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soils Engineering, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)
Zhijiu Cui, Beijing (Peking) University (China)
Baolai Wang, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ottawa, Canada (Canada)
Huijun Jin, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAREERI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou, China (China)
The scientific accomplishments of Mackay were of great benefit to China, especially his research on ground ice. Permafrost studies began in China in the 1960s. They were mainly concerned with the impact of near-surface layers of ground ice upon engineering infrastructure. However, Chinese geocryologists had little knowledge of ground-ice genesis and massive ground ice bodies. After 1982, under the influence and generous help of Mackay, Chinese research on permafrost and ground ice became increasingly sophisticated. Mackay was respected and admired not only for his outstanding accomplishments in scientific research, but also for his devotion to science and his innovative methods for permafrost research. His family ties with China were deep.
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