Research Progress and Prospect of Investigation and Monitoring Technology for Coastal Zone Geological Environment

The coastal zone, as a dynamic interface where the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere interact, represents a vital area for national economic and social development whilst facing escalating geological challenges and disaster risks. This review systematically synthesizes recent technological advancements in geological environment investigation and monitoring within coastal zone. It focuses on innovations in high‐resolution seismic profiling, multi‐beam bathymetry, in situ testing and sensor networks that have significantly enhanced the precision of submarine structural mapping, hazard identification and resource assessment. A major achievement is the establishment of an integrated three‐dimensional (space–air–land–sea–well) observation framework, which synergistically combines satellite remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, survey vessels, seafloor observatories and borehole systems to enable comprehensive spatiotemporal surveillance. This framework has been applied to developing early warning capabilities for typical geohazards, including coastal erosion, seawater intrusion and submarine landslides. The paper also critically examines existing technical bottlenecks, such as data fusion, real‐time transmission and precursor quantification, and projects future directions towards intelligent sensing, process‐oriented mechanistic studies, cross‐platform integration, standardization and international cooperation. Distinct from prior reviews, this work provides a critical assessment of both technological innovations and practical implementations in China's coastal zones, offering a holistic perspective that addresses unresolved challenges and emerging trends, with the ultimate goal of supporting coastal engineering safety, sustainable resource utilization and ecological protection.