Yangtze River Delta, as a pivotal region where the coastal axis and the riverside axis intersect, is characterized by complexity, diversity and typicality of the spatial structural evolution. Therefore, understanding its evolutionary pattern and constructing a theoretical model has important theoretical significance and application value. According to the core-periphery structure theory, the Yangtze River Delta can be divided into a core area that is centered on the Taihu Lake Basin and remaining periphery areas. However, due to its location at the junction of the river and the sea, a gateway area has emerged within the periphery area, thus forming a spatial structure that is composed of the core area and the gateway area. In the early period, the core area was centered on Suzhou, and a five-tier central place structure became well established since ancient times. However, the gateway area kept evolving and underwent three main changes: in ancient times, the gateway area was centered on Yangzhou, forming the canal gateway cluster; in the modern age, the gateway area became centered on Shanghai, forming an offshore gateway cluster; and in the contemporary era, the gateway area became centered on Ningbo, forming an oceanic gateway cluster. Their corresponding navigation capacities were 500 t, 10,000 t, and 200,000 t, respectively. Therefore, in addition to the existing central place theory and seaport spatial structure theory, the spatial structure evolution of the Yangtze River Delta presents a new evolutionary model: namely, the fusion evolutionary model of central places and port gateways. According to this model, in the early period, it was an endogenous evolution of the core area's spatial structure, which was in line with Christaller's hexagonal structure; while in modern times, the evolution of the spatial structure of the Yangtze River Delta was no longer dominated by central places, but rather, it became dominated by the gateway areas, making the k = 3 market principle turn into the k = 4 transportation principle. In this way, the Yangtze River Delta provides a globally exemplary empirical case for validating the process test of the central place theory, analyzing functional attributes of urban centrality and gateway, and refining the relevant theoretical model.

The border issue holds significant importance in China-India relations, persistently hampering their development. Existing scholarship tends to interpret the causes of China-India border disputes through lenses of colonization, history, security and third-party involvement. However, these approaches overlook the complex power dynamics within the state which regards the border as the tools. To comprehensively explore the new-round China-India border dispute since May 2020, this paper cites the thought and methods of critical geopolitics, applies discourse analysis of geopolitical imaginations, and proposes a novel perspective that analyzes the border dispute in terms of the synergetic role of multiple actors. The findings indicate that: (1) The border dispute can be considered as tools or resources for multiple actors to achieve their goals or interests through jointly constructing geopolitical discourses and imaginations related to border disputes; (2) Based on Indian mainstream media news from April 2020 to March 2021, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress Party, the military, Ministry of External Affairs and the business and social elites in India have utilized the border conflicts as tools and resources to pursue political and economic interests through three forms of geopolitical imagination: paranoid style, intimate metaphor and moral resistance, thereby exacerbating the dispute; (3) The border dispute from May 2020 to February 2021 is regarded as a continuous process exploited by Indian multi-actors, which means that the conflicts, like the confrontation in Pangong Lake, occurred when the multi-actors' interests were not yet secured, but tend to subside once their interests are largely met. In this regard, China should rationally understand the periodic and persistent nature of China-India border disputes and actively build complementary and cooperative structures between the two countries through positive methods like "appreciative inquiry" which may effectively mitigate or resolve border disputes.

Geographic environment has exerted profound effect on the origin and evolution of world civilizations. Chinese civilization budded and evolved on a vast and varied territory between Yellow and Yangtze rivers, and has been thus deeply affected by the local geographic conditions. But it has been hardly seen to explore the origin of Chinese civilization from the perspective of geography. On the basis of integrated scientific investigation in China's north-south transitional zone, geographic analysis of Neolithic culture distribution and interpretation of pre-Qin and Qin-Han ancient literature, the conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) The early agriculture pattern of "Rice in the south and millet in the north" and the ancient astronomy formed before about 8000 years were the background for Chinese civilization. The geographic distribution of Neolithic Dadiwan, Yangshao, Majiayao and Longshan culture sites showed that the earliest civilization elements appeared in the upper reaches of West-Hanshui and Weihe rivers, with a spatial trend of spreading toward east. (2) The West Qinling Mts. region, located between the Tibetan Plateau and the Jialing River, especially its inner Chenghui and Xili basins, being characterized by superior natural conditions and resources, is closely related to the three major mysteries concerning the origin of Chinese civilization, i.e., the main areas of the ancient Di and Qiang ethnic groups, the location of ancient Kunlun Mts., and the site of Dayu water control. (3) The Qin ethnic group stepped onto the stage of history by assisting Dayu in water control, and in their history of multiple ups and downs, built the grand water control projects in ancient China, such as the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, Zhengguo Canal, Lingqu Canal, etc., and pioneered the time of "Books with the same text" and "County system", forming the main line of the origin and early evolution of Chinese civilization. (4) The West Qinling areas are still basically a "blind zone" in archaeological and historical research. It is highly recommended to conduct systematic and in-depth archaeological and historical research in this region so as to realize the breakthrough in the exploration of the origin of Chinese civilization as soon as possible.

New quality productive forces are advanced productivity that is freed from traditional economic growth mode and productivity development paths, features high-tech, high efficiency and high quality driven by technological innovation in the new era. From the geographical perspective, developing new quality productive forces is the ability to coordinate new human-earth relationships in the Anthropocene, where human activities dominate, promote the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature, transform green waters and mountains into gold and silver mines, drive high-quality development and layout, and comprehensively implement the construction of a beautiful China. Geography focuses on studying the emergence and development process, formation and evolution characteristics, spatial organization patterns, and regional differentiation laws of new quality productive forces driven by innovation, so as to promote the human-earth system to enter the ecological civilization stage of highly coupled and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Compared with traditional industries, the evolution of new quality productive forces has experienced a fluctuating process of evolution from low-quality productivity to medium-quality, medium-high-quality, and then to high-quality productivity, accompanying the emergence of continuous technological revolutions and industrial revolutions. They exhibit basic characteristics such as high coupling, deep integration, super correlation, rapid iteration, and spatial differentiation. The pivotal directions propelled by the drive of new quality productive forces for geographical research encompass the following: re-coordinating human-earth relationships to foster novel harmonious coexistence conducive to the realization of a beautiful China; restructuring industrial systems to align with the new quality productive forces, facilitating profound industrial transformation; reallocating geographical elements to establish a novel mechanism that harmonizes natural, humanistic, and data-driven components; reshaping spatial pattern to engender a fresh spatial paradigm wherein new quality productive forces and traditional industries are integrated deeply; rebuilding ecological environment to leverage them as green engines of productivity, thus enhancing the intrinsic value of ecological capital; revitalizing geographical science through the refinement and updating of theories and methods, thereby constructing a modern disciplinary landscape of geography.

With the rapid advancement of science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a significant force driving scientific development and social progress. In the field of geographical sciences, the application of AI technology is deepening, bringing revolutionary changes to the collection, analysis, and application of big data and spatio-temporal information, and demonstrating innovative and application potential in multiple aspects. This paper systematically reviews the development and application of AI in geographical sciences, providing a detailed introduction to the development trajectories of various AI fields such as machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, planning systems, and large AI models, as well as their applications in geography. It discusses the problems and challenges of AI applications in geography and provides an outlook on the future development of interdisciplinary research between AI and geographical sciences.

The quality of development is crucial for China to comprehensively build a socialist modern country. Drawing on related concepts of development in quality, the paper conceptualizes a city in high-quality development and proposes a stylish framework with five dimensions to evaluate it, in line with the New Development Philosophy, which is composed of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing. Using the methods of spatial analysis, club convergence test and spatial Durbin model, the paper identified the spatial evolution of the quality of city development in China and associated determinants during 2005-2020. On average, the level of city development quality increased by 48.4% during the study period. The number of cities at low-level of quality in development decreased dramatically, accompanied by a profound transformation in the spatial pattern of city development quality, which presents significant spatial aggregation. The spatial imbalance remains for cities with different development qualities, and the challenge is still huge to narrow the gap. With significant role differentiation among cities, a "pioneering-catching up" pattern emerges, and the 11 pioneering cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen have become the pioneers of high-quality development in China. Key determinants for cities achieving high quality in development includes urbanization level, public investment, digital economy, environmental regulation and economic growth, while there is inverted U-shaped relationship between city size and development quality. To achieve the goal of high-quality city development in the new era, it is necessary to focus on the development of cities in the central and western regions, making full use of the demonstration role of pioneers, promoting quantitative growth, strengthening environmental regulations, cultivating the new forms of digital economy, and optimizing the city size hierarchy.

Soil erosion is influenced by various factors, such as land use and climate change. The Wangmaogou watershed, as a typical area for soil and water conservation in the hilly and gully regions of the Loess Plateau, has implemented a series of measures since the 20th century, including the Grain for Green Project. This study evaluated the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of soil erosion intensity in the watershed in the years of 2010, 2015, and 2020 using the CSLE model. It also studied the situation of land use/cover change (LUCC) to analyze the spatial distribution patterns of land use and the responses of soil erosion in different time periods, thereby verifying the effectiveness of the soil and water conservation measures. The results revealed that from 2010 to 2020, the annual average soil erosion modulus in the study area decreased by 0.11 t hm^-2 a^-1, indicating a slight improvement in overall soil erosion conditions. However, the proportion of slight erosion decreased by 5.56%, while severe erosion increased by 4.02%, with the higher erosion zone mainly distributed in the northern, central, and northwestern parts of the watershed. Compared to the year 2010, soil erosion conditions in the watershed were greatly relieved in 2015 due to the decrease of rainfall and restoration of vegetation, but rebounded in 2020 resulting from the extreme rainfall events and declining vegetation cover quality. From 2010 to 2020, there were significant conversions between grassland and farmland in the northern and northeastern parts of the watershed. The decline in grassland quality resulted in a higher average soil erosion modulus compared to farmland, at 13.69 t hm^-2 a^-1 and 12.99 t hm^-2 a^-1, respectively. This study would contribute to figuring out the relationship between soil erosion in typical small watersheds of the Loess Plateau, extreme climatic events, and land use changes, providing scientific data support for future efforts to improve soil and water conservation benefits and mitigate soil erosion risks.

The statistical definition of migration in China is attached with its unique household registration (hukou) system, the migrants so defined are also called the floating population. A new analytical paradigm is needed to deal with the complexity of sub-flows in the floating population. The paper classifies five types of the floating population in census context by referring the UN migration criteria, and constructs a new paradigm for analyzing the floating population in China. As a particular provincial-level region (hereafter province) is concerned, the inflow and outflow people belong to different hukou groups balanced by their own counter-flow, namely, inflow vs back-inflow (both have no hukou of the province), outflow vs back-outflow (both have hukou of the province). With the clue of inter-census migration cohort, a sub-flows model is constructed to identify the inter-provincial migration based on the retention rate. The annual retention rate of the inter-provincial migration cohort from 2010 to 2020 is 88.7%. Based on the provincial retention rates, an all-increment table of population change by province in China is made by modelling simulation. The paper surfaces new characteristics of population growth and inter-provincial migration: (1) Provincial population changes are divided into five types, among which the inflow-leading increase type is mainly found in municipalities and the eastern coastal areas, while the fertility-leading increase type and the fertility-overriding increase type are mainly in the western provinces and the agricultural provinces in the middle, and the outflow-overriding decrease type and the outflow-leading decrease type in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu and the northeastern provinces. (2) The mechanical growth of population can be divided into four types: rapid increase, equilibrium, outflow-overriding decrease and dual decrease (both hukou and non-hukou migration are negative). A "W"-shaped mechanical growth rate profile from northwest to southeast is found with the equilibrium belt standing in its middle. (3) Population floating is divided into three types. The counter-flows are highly-correlated: inflow rate and outflow rate are negatively correlated while the inflow-back-inflow and outflow-back-outflow are significant positively correlated. The analytical paradigm and model of floating population in China can be further extended to the study of "citizenship seeking migration" including international migration, and even further to identity migration including migrations with status changing such as enrollment, employment and marriage.

In the course of urbanization in mountainous and hilly regions, the rapid and disorderly expansion of urban areas has led to environmental degradation of natural landscapes, the gradual erosion of cultural heritage inherent to landscapes, and an intensification of the conflict between human activities and environmental preservation. This dilemma has emerged as a prominent challenge confronting the sustainable development of cities. The integrated advancement of mountain management, water governance, and urban planning emerges not only as a pragmatic imperative for new urbanization and the realization of a visually appealing China, but also as a pivotal pillar supporting urban spatial restructuring and the pursuit of green, low-carbon transformations. This study advocates for a comprehensive exploration of the reciprocal influences and interactions between urban spatial expansion and natural landscapes, necessitating the adoption of an integrated research pattern. This pattern systematically scrutinizes the organizational dynamics and mechanisms of interaction among urban physical spatial configurations, natural ecological networks, and the structure of landscaping and cultural spaces. The spatial pattern termed "mountain-water-city" encapsulates the symbiotic relationships forged through the interplay and adaptation between urban artificial environments and natural landscape environment, with an emphasis on the holistic fusion of urban spaces, natural elements, and cultural components. Building upon this conceptual foundation, the present paper endeavors to elucidate the theoretical contexts and practical imperatives underlying the investigation of the "mountain-water-city" spatial pattern. It delves into the conceptual nuances of this spatial pattern, elucidating its constituent elements, hierarchical scales, and formation mechanisms from a comprehensive perspective integrating spatial, natural, and cultural interactions. Subsequently, it examines the analytical framework and future prospects for research on the "mountain-water-city" spatial pattern, which should center on analyzing its spatiotemporal processes, identifying key controlling factors, and discerning its evolutionary patterns. Furthermore, it should elucidate the driving mechanisms, organizational models, and holistic impacts shaping the formation and evolution of the "mountain-water-city" spatial pattern, as well as explore governance strategies and regulatory pathways conducive to fostering the symbiotic development of this spatial pattern.

Shanghai is one of the most significantly urbanized cities in modern China, and its urban spatial pattern and urban area have changed dramatically since its opening up (1843-2020). Reconstructing and analyzing the expansion process of Shanghai has great importance toward attaining a deeper understanding of China's urbanization. This study collected multi-source and multi-precision urban spatial data such as old urban maps, topographic maps of the Republic of China (1912-1949), declassified images from the U.S. military (KeyHole), and remote sensing data (Landsat), and reconstructed a long time series of urban built-up areas, and finally examined the evolution process and driving forces of the spatial structure of Shanghai. The results show that: (1) Since 1843, the area of urban built-up areas increased tremendously, with a total expansion of about 1453 times, and the expansion rate and expansion intensity also changed drastically. (2) The overall change trend of compactness is decreasing, and the fractal dimension shows a certain cycle. (3) The center of gravity of the built-up area in different periods showed a trend of developing first to the north and then to the south, and the most important direction of expansion was southwest and west by south. (4) The urban change was complicated by multiple driving factors: the natural location established the prerequisite for the development of Shanghai as a port city; as the most fundamental driving force, social change and policy determined the main direction of urban development at different stages; the spatial agglomeration of industry and trade is the direct cause of the formation and expansion of cities; population migration also injected new impetus into the urbanization; transportation, as an urban infrastructure, has been used to strengthen the connection between the city's external and internal regions. This study clarifies the processes and mechanisms of urban expansion in Shanghai and provides historical knowledge and scientific support for a deeper understanding of urban change and the evolution of the human-land relationship. Moreover, the ways in which a set of general data with a wide coverage and high resolution can be used for the study of the spatial and temporal processes of urban expansion on a centennial scale are discussed, which is quite instructive for understanding the pre-remote sensing era and developing longer time series.

Thermokarst lakes, as prominent thermokarst landscapes in permafrost regions, significantly influence ecological vegetation, hydrological processes, and carbon cycling in the Arctic. However, the current understanding of the distribution characteristics and change mechanisms of Arctic thermokarst lakes remains limited. To address this gap, this study employs meta-analysis and mathematical statistical methods to investigate the distribution patterns and dynamics of thermokarst lakes. The results reveal a pronounced spatio-temporal heterogeneity in the distribution and changes of Arctic thermokarst lakes. These variations are closely associated with permafrost conditions, lithology, soil types, subterranean ice content, and soil temperatures. Most Arctic thermokarst lakes are located in continuous permafrost area, where subterranean ice content exceeds 10%, average soil temperatures are above -4°C, and there are specific vertical soil temperature gradients. The change trends of thermokarst lakes differ under various environmental conditions. Generally, the development of thermokarst lakes follows three stages: initial formation, mid-term expansion, and late-stage contraction, all influenced by hydrological and thermohydrological balances. As critical indicators of permafrost degradation and climatic environmental changes, thermokarst lakes profoundly impact carbon cycling, hydrological processes, and ecological environmental changes within the Arctic ecosystem.

The mass elevation effect (MEE) is a thermal phenomenon associated with uplifted landmasses, leading to spatial differentiation in water-heat assemblies that profoundly affect the geo-ecological pattern and environmental evolution of mountains and regions. This study developed a ground-air temperature regression model to simulate the temperature distribution on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using MOD11C3 data and meteorological observations, analyzing the spatiotemporal diversity and dynamic evolution of the MEE across the entire plateau and internal landform regions were estimated and analyzed from 2000 to 2019. Employing the Geodetector method, the research uncovered the genesis patterns of the MEE at different scales, revealing an average MEE of 4.13 ℃ with a pronounced centripetal pattern from northeast to southwest and decreasing elevation-dependent characteristics that were significantly negatively correlated with longitude and latitude. The average MEE of the landform regionalization was 5.06 ℃, indicating a stronger internal spatial differentiation within landform regionalization. Seasonally, the MEE was slightly stronger in the dry season, with distinct patterns of weakness in the northwest and strength in the southeast during the dry season, and the opposite in the wet season. The MEE showed an asymmetric linear enhancement pattern under global climate change, with an inclination rate of 0.26 ℃/10 a, presenting a "ring-like" characteristic of strong in the east and weak in the west and decreased from the hinterland core to the edge. The weak areas were significantly enhanced, whereas the strong areas showed small variations. The MEE fluctuation magnitude and change rate were both stronger in the dry season than in the wet season, with the dry season primarily contributing to MEE changes. The spatial and temporal patterns of the MEE were influenced by scale effects, with latitudinal zonation at the macroscale and microtopographic features at the regional level. Moreover, NDVI and barometric pressure were found to enhance the seasonal spatial variations of the MEE. This comprehensive analysis provides deep insights into the mountain science and responses to climate change.

The evolution of territorial space is intrinsically linked to economic growth, societal welfare, and ecological preservation. In the context of escalating spatial conflicts and stringent resource limitations, resource efficiency has emerged as a fundamental pillar for the scientific optimization of territorial space layout. Drawing upon resource efficiency metrics from cities nationwide, this study constructs scenarios for territorial space development and conservation. It assesses developmental capacity under varying preferences and subsequently delineates strategic blueprints using an integrated "point-axis-area" approach. The findings reveal that: (1) Resource efficiency in China has witnessed a consistent uptick, yet remains modest overall, with marked regional disparities. (2) Throughout the investigation period, developmental capacity has seen progressive enhancement, with a pronounced capacity in scenarios favoring development, radiating axially from urban conglomerates. (3) The layout of pivotal points and developmental axes has transitioned from a "tri-pillar" to a diamond configuration, with the coastal corridor, the Harbin-Beijing-Guangzhou corridor and the corridor along the Yangtze River standing out. (4) Strategic points progressively converge along key axes, while dominant regions exhibit clear differentiation on either side of the Hu Huanyong Line. By integrating elements of the territorial spatial structure, this paper proposes blueprints for "five horizontal and three vertical zones with eight cores and three areas", "four horizontal and three vertical zones with six cores and three areas" and "three horizontal and four vertical zones with five cores and three areas", corresponding to scenarios prioritizing development, status quo maintenance, and conservation, respectively. The outcomes of this research offer a technical foundation and theoretical guidance for the pursuit of high-quality territorial space development and the vision of a picturesque landscape.

The rapid pace of urbanization and the continuous evolution of social attitudes underscore the importance of examining subjective well-being among migrants from a gender perspective. Based on the literature in the Web of Science Core Collection database, CiteSpace was used to analyze the related literature econometrically. The research on migrants' subjective well-being from the gender perspective is systematized in terms of relevant theories, temporal and spatial evolution characteristics, research hotspots, regional differences, and so on. The findings indicate that theories about subjective well-being are evolving at a rapid pace, with a research trend exhibiting a fluctuating upward trajectory. The research area has a strong localization. The main topics of interest in current research include: multidimensional characteristics, family well-being, social problems, and group differences. Concurrently, domestic and international research trends exhibit differentiation, which is reflected in the research theme, object, perspective, and other aspects. It is proposed that Chinese migrant women exhibit distinctive characteristics that warrant further investigation. In the future, academics should strive to enhance and expand the research on subjective well-being by focusing on themes such as the multifaceted effects and underlying mechanisms of subjective well-being, China's socio-cultural context, and geographic perspectives.

Sustainable development is a significant scientific issue of global concern. Geography, as a comprehensive discipline focusing on the coupled relationship between human activities and the natural environment, provides systematic research and solutions for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive reviews. This paper summarizes the theoretical framework and research progress of Geography supporting the SDGs and explores its future key research areas. This article indicates that: (1) Geography, in conducting integrated research on human-nature systems and serving regional and global sustainable development processes, has innovatively proposed and developed theoretical frameworks such as social-ecological systems, pattern-process-service-sustainability, metacoupling, and Classification-Coordination-Collaboration. These research frameworks include elements of human-environment system interconnections, process coupling, spatial coupling, and systematic regulation oriented towards SDGs, forming a comprehensive theoretical framework supporting sustainable development research in Geography, also referred to as "sustainable geography theoretical framework". (2) Geography has made positive progress in supporting the United Nations SDGs research in areas such as multi-source data acquisition, localization of indicator systems and multi-scale progress assessment, analysis of inter-target linkage mechanisms, and SDG achievement pathways. Geography provides important theoretical and methodological support for SDG research. (3) Geography and sustainable development-related research mainly focus on climate-ecological crisis response, sustainable utilization of food-energy-water resources, regional development and planning, human well-being and social governance, and the construction of SDG assessment indicators and databases. (4) In future research, there is a need to innovate and develop sub-disciplines of Sustainable Geography, optimize the construction of SDGs indicator systems, develop SDGs assessment and decision-making models, strengthen artificial intelligence geography, deepen research on human-nature system coupling, and promote regional and global sustainable development in the process of advancing innovation in the discipline of Geography.

In the post-Cold War era, the global landscape has evolved towards multipolarity, and the geostrategic behavior of states has gradually shifted away from the traditional binary model of "balancing-bandwagoning" to a more flexible and diverse one called hedging strategy, and it is the current strategy that the countries surrounding the South China Sea have adopted in response to China's actions. By introducing the hedging theory of international relations, we seek to understand, from a geopolitical perspective, how these geopolitical entities employ hedging strategies. First, an analytical framework is constructed to theorize hedging strategy, consisting of driving factors, mediating factors, and strategic choices. Second, the hedging intensity is assessed quantitatively via the geopolitical risk and the relative power index of the countries surrounding the South China Sea. The evolution of it is presented through a bivariate visualization method, and the various hedging patterns are classified by utilizing the quadrant diagram. Finally, both the theoretical framework and quantitative outcomes are validated by analyzing the strategic practices of the study region. We conclude that: (1) the geopolitical risks of the countries surrounding the South China Sea have been "tending to be stable but difficult to achieve" since the beginning of the 21st century, with significant heterogeneity among these countries. The evolution of state relative power exhibits a fluctuating trend, closely linked to U.S. intervention. (2) The hedging intensity of the countries surrounding the South China Sea results from the interaction between geopolitical risk and state relative power, leading to three distinct forms, represented by Vietnam and the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia and Brunei, respectively. (3) The intrinsic logic of the hedging strategies of these countries can be seen as a strategic cognition shaped by their threat awareness and national strategic orientation. This cognition then orientates diverse hedging approaches that guide these countries in applying either cooperative or competitive tools. By understanding the intensity and nature of the strategic hedging by the countries surrounding the South China Sea, we aim to provide a unique vantage point for China's regional governance in the South China Sea.

The empowerment of spatio-temporal information fully releases and amplifies its value as a critical factor of production, meeting the need of the era to support the high-quality development across diverse economic and social sections. Currently, foundational research into the empowerment of spatio-temporal information remains undeveloped, predominantly constrained by the perception that empowerment is synonymous with application. The lack of comprehensive understanding and investigation into its mechanism results in ambiguity in both the connotation and extension of spatio-temporal information, as well as the intrinsic mechanism of its empowerment. Such vagueness restricts the empowerment in a scientific and efficient manner. There is an immediate necessity to delineate its fundamental essence, mechanisms of empowerment, and operational modes clearly. To address the aforementioned challenges, this paper defines the foundational concept, explores the rich connotation, and outlines the essential characteristics of spatio-temporal information. It posits that entropy serves as the physical foundation for the empowerment of spatio-temporal information, with entropy decrease acting as its inherent driving force. The empowerment of spatio-temporal information utilizes spatio-temporal information as the medium, driven by the negative entropy flow, marked by the transformation of inherent uncertainty. This process enhances both the system's structure and performance through the dynamic interplay among humans, machines and the external environment. This paper describes three empowerment modes of spatio-temporal information: taking spatio-temporal information as the in-itself information for direct empowerment, employing it as the being-itself information for indirect empowerment, and converting it into spatio-temporal knowledge for enhanced empowerment. Lastly, this paper investigates the pathways through which the empowerment of spatio-temporal information contributes to the high-quality development of natural resources.