Introduction to the special issue of “Loess and Climatic Record”: Memory of Professor Liu Tungsheng for his scientific contributions and his centenary birthday

This special issue is to memory Professor Liu Tungsheng for his scientific contributions and his centenary birthday. Liu Tungsheng was the former President of the International Association for Quaternary Association (INQUA), and the Honorary President of the Chinese Association for Quaternary Research (CHIQUA). Liu's best known contribution to Quaternary research is his pioneering and systematic study of the extensive loess deposits of China, which has been regarded as the best terrestrial paleoclimatic archive on the Earth. He won many international awards including the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2002 and the Alexander von Humboldt Medal in 2007. He was an inspiring leader, one of China's, and indeed one of the world's most outstanding Earth scientists. This introduction aims to explore the personal factors behind his great achievements and reviews the papers included in this special issue from his colleagues, friends, and students.