China Has Successfully Conducted its First Pilot Production of Natural Gas Hydrates

Natural gas methane and hydrates are a chemical compound of water molecules formed under low temperature and high pressure. The decomposition of 1 m^3 of natural gas hydrates can release about 0.8 m^3 of water and 164 m3 of natural gas. Thus, natural gas hydrates are characterized by their high-energy density and huge resource potential. It is estimated that the world＇s total natural gas hydrates resource amount is equivalent to twice the total carbon amount of the global proven conventional fuels and can meet the human energy requirement in the future for 1000 years. They are thus the first choice to replace conventional energy of petroleum and coal.

＂Three Rare Mineral Resources＂ and Crystalline Graphite Have Become Prospecting Focuses in China

With the global rise of industries of the new-generation information technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, biotechnology, high-end manufacturing, new materials and clean-energy vehicles, traditional metal materials cannot meet the functional requirements. Consequently, ＂three rare mineral resources＂, regarded as the best altemative for current and future new industries, have received much attention among industrial circles and have become a new focus during the present geological prospecting in China.

Geology, Geochemistry, and Geochronology of the Fenghuangshan Skarn-type Copper Deposit in the Tongling Ore Cluster, Anhui Province, East China

The Fenghuangshan skarn-type Cu deposit, Tongling Ore Cluster, Anhui Province, is an important component in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River ore-forming belt. To better understand magmatism and its relationship to mineralization, we investigated geochemical features, ore-forming fluids, and geochronology of the Xinwuli intrusion and the related Fenghuangshan Cu deposit. Lithogeochemical characteristics show that the Xinwuli quartz monzodiorite is formed by mixing magma derived from upper mantle alkaline basalt that has been contaminated by crust materials. C, H and O isotopes indicate that ore-forming fluids mainly come from the magma, with minor amounts of meteoric fluids involved at the late stage. S and Pb isotopic components indicate that ore-forming materials are derived from the mantle. Molybdenite Re-Os isotopic dating yields Re-Os model ages ranging from 139.1±2.4 Ma to 142.0±2.2 Ma, with an isochronal age of 141.1±1.4 Ma, which is consistent with sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe （SHRIMP） zircon U-Pb ages of quartz monzodiorite and granodiorite in the mining area. Dating analysis yields ages from 136.0±2.0 Ma to 143.0±2.4 Ma for the quartz monzodiorite （a weighted average of 139.4±1.2 Ma） and ages from 136.7±2.0 Ma to 145.3±2.4 Ma for granodiorite （a weighted average of 141.0±1.1 Ma）.

China's Shale Gas Geological Investigation and Prospecting Have Made Significant Progress

Since 2015, the China Geological Survey has implemented a major program of ＂Geology Survey of Land Energy Mineral Resources＂. Till now, a total of billions of RMB have been invested and seven engineering projects have been established, all of which has greatly enhanced the geological survey and exploration of China＇s continental shale gas in an attempt to overcome the oil and gas shortage.

Two Super-Large Gold Deposits Have Been Discovered in Jiaodong Peninsula of China

During 2015, gold prospecting in Laizhou City of Shandong Peninsula in China has achieved a major breakthrough. Deposits containing 470 and 389 tons of gold metal were discovered in the northern sea area of Sanshandao and the Shaling area, respectively. As a result, the gold prospective resources in the entire Jiaodong Peninsula have now exceeded 4000 tons, fully indicative of the super-large prospecting potential of the Jiaojia-type deposits.

Scientists Discuss the Genetic Relationship between Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Indian Monsoon

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the third pole towering high in the world, has always been the object of extreme climate research. This is the most extensive high altitude area in the world, with an average altitude of 4000 meters. Such a wide mountainous area absorbs more solar energy than one at sea level, so the winter here is cold and summer is broiling hot. In the 1950s, the Chinese atmospheric scientist Ye Duzheng and German meteorologist Hermann Flohn both suggested that the air layer of the summer plateau was warmer than the sea and the air layer with the same altitude over land located at sea level, so that the temperature difference generated winds, which blow moist air from the ocean into the interior of the subcontinent of India, becoming a driving engine of the rainy season, the Monsoon.

China First Discovered Massive Available Hot Dry Rock Resources

Hot Dry Rock （HDR） refers to those generally deeply buried impermeable metamorphic or crystallized biotite gneiss, granite and granodiorite rock bodies, with a burial depth greater than 2000 m, containing no water or vapor. HDR is as implied, hot and dry, with temperatures ranging from 150 to 650℃, and it can be utilized as a heat resource. Because this type of heat system does not require porosity, permeability and fluids and is widespread at the drillable depth range of 10 kin, it is thereby an infinite resource type. By contrast, thermal power generation results in copious pollution; wind power is irregular and unstable; solar energy occupies large areas.

A Large Dinosaur Assemblage has been Discovered in Pu'an,Yunyang County,Chongqing,China

In June 2017, the Chongqing Municipal Govemment and Chinese scientists announced the discovery of a world -class dinosaur assemblage in Pu＇an, a town of Yunyang County, Chongqing. This group of skeletons was buried in the Jurassic Ziliujing Formation Da＇anzhai member and the lower and upper members of the Shaximiao Formation.

Major Breakthroughs in Geological Theory, Key Techniques and Exploration of Tight Oil in China

In recent years,U.S.tight oil exploration and development have achieved significant progress,with rapidly increasing production,which has significantly changed the U.S.A.energy supply pattern（Fig.1）.Compared with the North American marine to marginal marine-continental transitional facies,China’s tight oil（Fig.1）

Reserves of Natural Gas Hydrates Equivalent to 100–150 Billion m^3 Natural Gas Has Been Discovered in the Pearl Mouth Basin of the South China Sea

Scientists have suggested that combustible ice in global marginal seas,deep trough areas and ocean basins covers an area of 400million km2,and its total reserve is twice the amount of the global proven oil,coal and gas reserves,equivalent to 50 times the amount of conventional natural gas reserves.

The World＇s Largest Conglomerate Type Oilfield Has Been Discovered in the Junggar Basin of China

The Junggar Basin in the northern part of Xinjiang is the second largest inland basin in China. It is located between the Altai and Tianshan Mountains, which is bounded by the Junggar bounded Mountain in the northwest, the Altai Mountains in the northeast and the North Tianshan Mountains in the south. It belongs to a triangular close inland basin, and extends 700 km in EW and 370 km in NS, covering an area of 38x104 km2. The elevation is about 400 m, high in the east （about 1000 m） and low in the west. The central basin is the Guerbantonggute desert, which accounts for 36.9% of the total basin area.

Chinese Shale Gas Exploration Started Officially and Primary Results Achieved

Shale gas is a new, clean and efficient unconventional oil and gas resource, and it has become a new highlight of global oil and gas exploration and exploitation. In recent years, the Ministry of Land and Resources of The People＇s Republic of China launched the program Investigation and Evaluation of China Shale Gas Resources and Favorable Areas Preferred, which has evaluated the shale gas resource potential and selected potential areas for exploration and exploitation.

Magnetite Quartzite-Type Iron Ores – China's Most Important Current Iron Ore Source

China is abundant in iron-ore resources, with proven ore reserves of 576.62×10^8 t and proven reserves of 210×10^8 t, containing an average iron content of 33%. However, the rich iron-ore reserves of 10.85×10^8 t only account for 1.9% of all proven reserves. China＇s iron-ore resources are characterized by many lean ores and a few rich ones.

China＇s Graphite Resources and the Supply-Demand Situation

Graphite is a rare and important nonmetallic mineral. Till 2017, the global graphite resource reserves had exceeded one billion tons, which are mainly distributed in China （0.45 billion tons）, Mozambique （0.14 billion tons）, Madagascar （0.1 billion tons）, Turkey （0.09 billion tons）, Brazil （0.07 billion tons）, and Tanzania （0.07 billion tons）. These six countries include about 92% of the global graphite resource reserves, of which China accounts for about 45% of the world＇s total resource reserves.

China has Built a Mammoth Museum

The Tourism Bureau of Heilongjiang Province announces that a paleontological museum devoted to Quaternary fossil mammoths has been built in Qinggang County in that province. This museum, recently olticially opened, can be used to exhibit collections and conduct popular science education as well as scientific research （Fig. 1）.

Aftershock of the Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan Triggers Large Earthquake in Minxian County, Gansu

Because of the confining compression of the Pacific, Eurasian and Indian plates, the Chinese mainland is frequently stricken with earthquakes, especially in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas and along the NS-trending tectonic zone from Yinchuan to Lanzhou, Chengdu, and finally to the Kunming tectonic belt （Fig. 1）. Historical records show that there are 14 earthquakes of 〉Ms 8 occurring in the two regions, eight of which occurred along the latter tectonic belt. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake located on both the NS tectonic zone and the Longmenshan fault zone along the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

New Progress in Deep Earth Exploration and Application

During October 24th-26th of 2018, the International Symposium on Deep Earth Exploration and Application was held in Beijing, China (Fig. 1). More than 300 experts from more than 20 countries and regions participated in the symposium. Well-known experts were invited to discuss important topics such as the evolution of the continents, the rheology of the lower crust, the deep carbon cycle, plate tectonics, deep seismic exploration.

Supply-Demand Situation and Exploration of Mineral Resources in China during 2016-2017

During 2016-2017,both the supply and demand of China’s main mineral resources continued to grow.The import of major energy resources and metal ore resources,such as iron ores,crude oil,natural gas,coal and bauxite,except for copper,has shown a substantial increase(Table1).In order to guarantee economic development needs,the

China's Largest Granite-Type Gas Field was Discovered in Qinghai——The Inorganic Theory has Aroused Attention again

A growing number of oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in granite and metamorphic crystallized rock areas. Statistics show that, about 157 oil and gas fields were found in crystallized bedrocks, with oil reserves of 5048x 10^8 t, and gas reserves of 2681x10^8m3. Among the discovered industrial oil and gas fields hosted in crystallized rocks, most occurred in granite rocks, occupying 40% in quantity and 75% in reserves, followed by those hosted in mafic and ultra-mafic rocks （about 3%）, and then tbllowed by those in volcanic rocks and metamorphic rocks.

Significant New Dinosaur Egg Fossils Discovered in 2017

1 Dinosaur Eggs in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province In February 2017, dinosaur egg fossils were discovered in China Town part of Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. They were confirmed by dinosaur experts from the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History to be those of Mesozoic herbivorous dinosaurs （Fig. 1）. Not long before, Yiwu Museum staff had discovered dinosaur eggs close by this place.