| Geodynamic processes, such as changes in the deep structure of the earth and material and energy exchange, are the main power sources of the earth system, inducing changes in surface landforms, denudation, sedimentation, the environment, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides, as well as controlling fossil energy and geothermal energy. The distribution of natural resources is at the core of understanding the genesis mechanisms of mountain formation, basin formation, rock formation, ore formation, accumulation formation, and natural disasters. To explore the deep structure of the Chinese mainland and the effect of resources and energy, China Geological Survey, under the call of the Communist Party Central Committee to “go deep into the earth”, initiated a deep geological survey project in 2016. The project aims to seize the international high ground of continental basic geological research and be at the frontier of deep geological research. It selects important bases for resources and energy, major geological boundaries and key structural units in China, and conducts deep exploration and comprehensive research based on geophysics. We have thus far elucidated the fine structure of the lithosphere of important geological units such as the South China Block, studied the properties and spatial distribution of the major geological boundaries of the Bangong Lake-Nujiang suture zone, and discovered and extracted a number of related areas in the Songliao Basin and the Northwest basin-mountain junction. Information on deep mineralization, accumulation, and clean energy was also obtained for these areas. To further advance deep geological surveys and promote the transition from two-dimensional surface geological surveys to three-dimensional spatial geological surveys, Acta Geoscientica Sinica organized a special issue titled “Deep Geological Survey of Typical Areas in China”. This issue focuses on some staged progress and achievements of deep geological surveys in the past three years, mainly focusing on deep geological surveys revealing the deep structure of the Earth, and its control of shallow structures and resources and energy, serving deep Earth exploration and a new round of breakthrough national prospecting strategy. |