Progress of environmental geological investigation and research in the Yangtze River Economic Zone

In recent years, China Geological Survey organized and implemented the "Comprehensive Geological Environment Survey Project of the Yangtze River Economic Zone", which has obtained a batch of important results and understandings through environmental geological survey, evaluation and monitoring, as well as the combination of thematic research and comprehensive research: ① The project has established a comprehensive information management-service system for geological resources and environment in the Yangtze River Economic Zone(YREZ), systematically sort out the resource and environmental conditions and major geological problems in the whole zone and its key regions, and put forward relevant suggestions. ② It is proposed a new understanding that the continuous connecting of the Yangtze River occurred 750 000 years ago, at the turn of the early and middle Pleistocene. ③ It explores and forms five series of key technologies and methods system for ecological restoration demonstration in the Yangtze river basins. ④ It formulates the research method system of major water conservancy projects and geological environment effects in the Yangtze river basin, creates a set of multi-modal sensor system, and rejudges the impact of major water conservancy projects on geological environment. ⑤ It explores and sets up the theory and method system of investigating, evaluating and monitoring earth critical zone at the basin scale. ⑥ With the innovative application of "optical fiber technology" in monitoring ground subsidence and cracks, Yangtze river bank collapse and urban underground space development disturbances, related technologies have made breakthrough and are leading the development of optical fiber monitoring science. ⑦ The comprehensive investigation technology and methods of aviation hyperspectral remote sensing have been set up through independent research and development of airborne aerial hyperspectral spectrometer. ⑧ It explored an evaluation system including three scales of resources-environment carrying capacity in the river basins and eight evaluation methods for the suitability of territorial space development and utilization. ⑨ The research results have been widely used in supporting and serving the territorial planning of the YREZ, the protection and restoration of the ecological environment in the river basins, the new urbanization strategy, the planning and construction of major projects, the prevention and control of geological disasters, the poverty alleviation, and the construction of the national underground strategic oil-gas storage base. At the same time, 21 stable professional teams of environmental geological survey have been formed.