Chinese team maps South China Sea floor with ‘twice the resolution’ of Western models
China has mapped the seabed of its claimed waters including the South China Sea, with twice the resolution and up to five times the accuracy of methods used by other countries after more than two decades of effort, according to scientists involved in the project. The importance of such work was underscored in October 2021, when the US Navy’s Seawolf-class nuclear submarine USS Connecticut struck…
A Chinese research team has created a highly detailed map of the seabed in the South China Sea, surpassing previous Western models in terms of both resolution and accuracy. The team, led by Professor Wu Ziyin from the Second Institute of Oceanography, spent over two decades compiling data from various sources before developing advanced techniques to process and model the information.
This effort culminated in the creation of China’s first systematic seabed atlas, which names 769 features in the surrounding waters and uses Chinese mythology, historical figures, and classical poetry for culturally distinctive naming. The team’s work has been recognized with a National Science and Technology Progress Award and has set an international standard for unmanned seabed mapping.
Their survey gear, including autonomous underwater vehicles capable of low-noise, low-power propulsion and high-precision navigation, is now in routine operation. The new technologies have already been applied in domestic sectors like water conservancy, navigation channels, marine surveying, and offshore wind power, while also being exported to Russia, Japan, and Singapore.
Wu emphasizes that the team's progress marks a significant leap from weak theory and outdated technology to a dominant position in global marine surveying.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
