Based on geophysical literature published abroad in1996,this paper first describes briefly the new frontiers in the development of geophysical techniques.In the field of mineral exploration,new advances in prognosis and prospecting for ore deposits,exploration methods,and case histories of kimberite and talc deposits are recounted.In the field of environmental investigation,the application of electrical methods to water quality survey is reviewed,and the utilization of geophysical techniques in urban dump survey,the site investigation of abandoned collieries,and the study of environmental effects of urban artificial physical fields as well as the newly adopted methods in landslide and cavity detection are reported.In the field of regional and deep geophysical investigations,the Mineral Exploration Initiative carried out recently in some western countries,the study of large-scale electrical conductivity structure,and the compilation of Antarctic magnetic maps are outlined.In the field of new exploration methods,description is given in such aspects as new airborne EMsystem——FLAIRTEM,non contact data acquisition techniques in electrical(EM) explorations,measurements of spectral induced polarization for environmental application,new regional exploration methods for detecting hydrocarbon alteration plumes,and sea gravimeter.