"In other countries mountain-forming activity is mainly in the later stages, and it is impossible to see it in earlier stages. Since Taroko is a living example of the early history of geological evolution, it is useful for comparison with areas in the later stages of mountain-forming, so we can explore the relationships between the earlier and later stages and explain the evolutionary processes of geological history," says Tsao Shuh-jong.
「國外造山運動大部分都已進展到晚期，缺乏造山運動的前期型態可以觀察，太魯閣是一部活生生的地質初期演化史，可與晚期造山運動作比對、串連，探究地質演化前後的關連性，解開地質史的演變歷程，」曹恕中說，太魯閣也因此成為國際學者眼中的「地質天堂」。