Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) is capable of finely characterizing the velocity structure, anisotropy, viscoelasticity, and attenuation properties of subsurface media, which provides critical constraints for scientific problems such as understanding the Earth’s internal structure and material composition, earthquake preparation and occurrence, and plate motion and dynamic processes. In recent years, with advancements in high-performance computing platforms, improvements in numerical methods, and the cross-integration of multidisciplinary, FWI has demonstrated broad application prospects in deep underground structure exploration, resource and energy exploration, engineering geophysics, and even medical imaging. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the development of the FWI method, addressing its current challenges, identifying key issues, future directions, and potential research areas in the theory, methodology, and application of high-resolution FWI imaging. The related findings were published in SCIENCE CHNIA: Earth Science, 68(2): 315‒342, 2025.

Global heating over this millennium could exceed previous estimates due to carbon cycle feedback loops. This is the conclusion of a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The analysis shows that achieving the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global warming to well below 2°C is only feasible under very low emission scenarios, and if climate sensitivity is lower than current best estimates. The paper is the first to make long-term projections over the next 1,000 years while accounting for currently established carbon cycle feedbacks, including methane.