The first and second session of lecture series titled "Investigating the South China Sea Lithospheric Structure, Magmatism, and Geodynamics from Global Perspectives" were held by CAS Key Laboratory of the Marginal Sea Geology,South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS on Oct.9-11 and Nov. 8-10, 2011, respectively.

The specific goals of the lecture series were (1) to review the international progress in studies of the global lithospheric and magmatic processes that are highly relevant to the study of the South China Sea; and (2) to enhance international collaboration in studies of the South China Sea.

The first session was themed as “Global mid-ocean ridge spreading processes and implications for the South China Sea evolution”, the lecture attracted more than 120 attendees from different research groups, including Dr. JIAN LIN from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Anne Briais from Lab Geosciences Environment Toulouse – GET. As the keynote speakers, they gave four lectures as follows: Diversity in mid-ocean ridge and ocean basin structure; Seafloor spreading center dynamics and challenging science problems; Magnetic anomalies and processes of global mid-ocean ridges; Magnetic anomalies and seafloor spreading history of the South China Sea.

Nine invited native lectures were made by Yao Bochu, Li Jiabiao, Qiu Xuelin, Sun Zhen, Li Chunfeng, Sun Weidong, Zhao Minghui, Ding Weiwei, Zhang Tao on the following topics: The seafloor spreading history of the SW sub-basin of the SCS; Seismic investigation of the western basin of the South China Sea; A recent 3D OBS seismic experiment conducted on the central basin of the South China Sea; Kinematic analysis of the fault system in spreading ridge and continental rift; Magnetic properties of the South China Sea crust/mantle and a proposed deep-tow magnetic survey and so on.

The 2nd Session was held in Guangzhou from Nov 8-10. Brian Tucholke from WHOI and Marta Perez from Royal Holloway, London University were invited, they each gave three talks. Brian introduced the structure and dynamics of Rift, transition zone and Ocean Core Complex on non-volcanic passive continental margin of Newfoundland and Iberia. Marta introduced the related fault and exhumation problems through mathematical modeling. 10 other invited talks on the structure, sedimentation, carbonate platforms and evolution of the conjugate margin of the South China Sea were introduced by speakers from famous native scientists.