Frontiers and Potential Directions of International Deep Earth Exploration

【Objective/Significance】Deep Earth exploration is a multidisciplinary and complex endeavor to understand the structure, dynamics and evolution of continents and their margins. It is in the common interest of human society to study the Earth's interior and gain a deeper understanding of how it works. Since the development of deep Earth exploration for half a century, many countries worldwide have carried out a series of programs, and have accumulated rich experience and achievements while making significant breakthroughs in technology and methods, which has important reference significance for deep Earth exploration in China.【Analysis/Discussion/Progress】This paper analyzes the technical means and achievements adopted by the representative deep Earth exploration programs in the United States, Europe, Australia since the 21st century, and summarizes the latest progress of these programs. 【Conclusion/Prospect】Six frontiers and key potential directions of deep Earth exploration were summarized, including seismic tomography for deep Earth structure detection, magnetotellurics for mineral resource exploration, GNSS monitoring for Earth's motion and state changes, coupled surface to deep Earth processes, advanced data processing, analysis and modeling capabilities, and open data sharing. It is expected to provide information support and references for “SinoProbe-Ⅱ” deep exploration program, “Earth CT” international cooperative research program, and National Science and Technology Major Projects of deep Earth and mineral resources exploration in China.