In March 1985, CAS Xi’an Geologic Research Department of Loess and Quaternary was officially established, with Academician Liu Dongsheng as the first director, Mr. An Zhisheng as the vice director and　laboratory members of eight researchers from CAS Guiyang Geo-Chemistry Institute, forming total 15 staff members together with seven research and administrative members from other units.  

　　  In Aug. 1987, Xi’an Geologic Research Department of Loess and Quaternary was officially approved as an open laboratory by CAS, realizing the first upgrade of the Research Department since it moved to Xi’an.

　　　In March 1993, as entrusted by the State Planning Commission, CAS made demonstration of “National Key Laboratory Construction Plan” for the Research Department.  The first director of CAS National Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology is Academician An Zhisheng, and director of the academic committee is Academician Ding Guoyu. From CAS open laboratory to national key laboratory, that is the second upgrade of the Department.

　　　In 1999, CAS National Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology was upgraded to Earth Environment Institute, and started innovative project pilot completely from May 1999, with Academician Liu Dongsheng as the honorary director of the Institute, and Academician An Zhisheng as the first director. This is the third upgrade of our Institute.

　　　From Aug. 2002 to July 2006, Research Fellow Guo Zhengtang served as the second director. In accordance with requirements of CAS knowledge innovation project Phase III, the Institute increased innovative positions to 80, making doctor and Master postgraduates under program up to 87. During the period, under support of CAS, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science & Technology, CAS Earth Environment Institute and Xi’an Jiaotong University cooperated to jointly established “Xi’an Accelerator Mass Spectrum Center” laboratory.

　　　In Aug. 2006, CAS Party Group decided to try out rotating director responsibility system in the Earth Environment Institute, with the first executive director of Research Fellow Zhou Weijian （female）（the third-session director of the Institute）, and vice directors of Research Fellow Liu Yu,  Research Fellow Liu Xiaodong and Research Fellow Cao Junji. The new-session administrative management of the Institute, by making efforts to realize transformation from “past global change research” to “past-modern combined global change research”; transformation “from monsoon environmental research to monsoon－arid environmental research ”even to “combination with regional and global change research”; “from natural process to interaction of nature and human”, integrates the research arrangement into current four research departments: ancient environment research department,  modern environment research department,  dust and environment research department  and accelerator mass spectrum center, striving for building our Institute into an international high-level continental environment research base and talents training base.