Founded in 1978, Institute of Geophysics under China Seismological Bureau undertakes the study of seismology and solid state earth physics. With rules of physics and new technologies, the institute studies laws of causes, gestation and development of earthquake, inspection and forecast of earthquake. It aims to combine geology, geophysics and geochemistry and to establish the leadership for both research and graduate education in solid state earth sciences in China. Its research activities focus on interactions between multiple layers of the solid planet earth and the effects on natural resources, environment and geologic engineering, all of which will be closely related to national demand for economic growth and sustainable development. 

The research scope is defined to explore the structure and composition of the lithosphere and interactions with other Earth's spheres, bringing new understandings of the dynamic processes of the continental lithosphere regarding its formation and evolution courses.

The institute now has a staff of 584, including four members of Academic Divisions of China Academy of Science, 113 researchers and senior engineers, and 308 researchers with intermediate titles. The institute is authorized to confer Doctoral degree and Master' degree in most branches of geology and geophysics.

It boasts 15 research offices in the fields of geodynamics, Cenozoic geology and environment, geomagnetism, mineralization and resources exploration, and engineering geology and subsurface geophysics.

The Institute of Geophysics as a collection of more than 100,000 books (volumes). The institute has launched eight professional journals covering a broad range of geo-science.