The thermal structure and tectonothermal evolution group make use of the methods and means of geothermics, tectonics and minerology to study the present-day thermal regime of lithosphere, thermal history and hydrocarbon generation in oil-gas basin, the tectonothermal evolution of major geological event, the exploration and evaluation of geothermal resource as well as crystal lattice and new mineral identification.

Up to now, the major progresses includ:
1) updated heat flow map of the continental area of China, which revealed the thermal state or heat flow pattern in the continental area of China is characterized by southwest 'high' with "cold' mantle and `hot' crust, central and northwest 'low' with 'cold' mantle and `cold' crust and east 'high', with 'hot' mantle and `cold' crust in the Southwest;
2) The major oil-gas basins in China is typical of episodic heating and multi-period hydrocarbon generation，as a technical support,a computer program for thermal history reconstruction of sedimentary basin have been developped;
3) discovery of paleo-geothermal record for the thinning of lithosphere in the North China and the Ermeishan mantle plume in Permian;
4) Tectonothermal evolution : presents a new 2-D numerical model to test the proposed mechanism of NCC destruction；
5) the distribution of geothermal resources in the continental area is controlled by the lithospheric thermal regime and the barget area mainly located at southwest and east China;
6) Determination of crystal structures for the some minerals.

Based on the basic study, but we would like to cooperate with all sectors of society on regional geothermal measurements, thermal history reconstruction and hydrocarbon generation in oil-gas basin, analysis of regional tectono-thermal evolution or major geological event, geothermal exploration and evaluation as well as mineral identification etc..