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…
China has produced a detailed map of the seabed in its claimed territories, including the South China Sea, with a level of precision twice that of Western models, according to scientists involved in the project. The effort has taken more than two decades to complete. In October 2021, the US Navy's USS Connecticut submarine collided with an uncharted seamount, resulting in injuries to 11 crew members.
The accident could have been avoided if detailed topographic data had been available. The South China Sea contains rugged terrain, similar to mountain ranges on land, making accurate mapping essential for military operations, mineral extraction, and scientific research. However, only 28.7% of the world's oceans have been surveyed in detail, with the remaining 71% remaining unmapped.
In July, Professor Wu Ziyin and his team from the Second Institute of Oceanography received a prestigious National Science and Technology Progress Award for developing precise techniques to map underwater features. They created China's first systematic seabed atlas, naming 769 features in surrounding waters and establishing a new international standard for unmanned seabed mapping.
The team's progress was made possible by improved data processing, as they combined and modeled data from various sources to create a high-resolution digital map of China's surrounding seas. This map doubles the resolution and improves accuracy compared to global models. The team also developed new underwater vehicles and a multi-beam echo sounder, reducing the cost of such equipment from millions of yuan to a few hundred thousand yuan.
The atlas features culturally distinctive names drawn from Chinese mythology, historical figures, and classical poetry. The team's survey results and equipment have been used in various domestic sectors, including water management, navigation, and offshore wind power, while also being exported to Russia, Japan, and Singapore. This achievement represents a significant leap forward for China's marine survey capabilities and its global standing in the field.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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