The National Mineral Resource Potential Assessment is an important mineral resource investigation program of China. The enormous pool of geological investigation data accumulated over the past decades was processed using modern information technology. The resource potential of 25 important minerals were systematically predicted which provide important support for the strategic move of ore-prospecting breakthroughs. Achievements include: 1. All-compassing qualitative prediction of the resource reserve of 25 minerals in China including coal, uranium, iron, copper and aluminum, delineation of 49202 minimum prediction regions for different minerals, and general identification of the resource potential and spatial distribution of the 25 minerals. 2. Nationwide systematic and comprehensive research on metallogenic geological background, resulting in a tectonic map series of China for the first time and many new understandings on major long-debated geological problems. 3. Studies of typical deposits and metallogenic law, establishment of typical deposit and regional metallogenic patterns, metallogenic geological factors, determination of 388 mineral prediction types, full coverage of all the IV-Zone land area in China and establishment or updating of the regional metallogenic pattern of the metallogenic provinces. 4. Systematic studies on the application of gravity, geomagnetic, geochemical, remote-sensing and native heavy concentrate data, and establishment of information signatures and geological interpretation that serve metallogenic geological background, typical deposit and mineral prediction. Besides, the program also cultivated a large number of high-end mineral resource potential assessors. Ever since its inauguration in 2006, this program lasted 8 years and involved 165 units and some 3700 scientists. This is the most scientific, most authoritative and largest assessment in China and the only one of such size in the world too, having made great contribution to and provided reference for the world's mineral resource potential assessment.

Fully updated Tectonic Map of China