THE Chinese marine research vessel Haiyang 6 (Ocean 6) has successfully concluded the second leg of its 15th deep-sea geological survey voyage, with several key scientific achievements announced Wednesday, as reported by CCTV News.

The vessel, operated by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, embarked on this 95-day expedition Aug. 29, covering a total distance of 12,673 nautical miles. It recently returned to port, according to the China Geological Survey.

During the voyage, researchers collected a substantial volume of valuable data and samples, including deep-sea environmental measurements, water samples, seabed sediments, polymetallic nodules, and biological specimens. The mission also achieved breakthroughs in key technologies and equipment for deep-sea exploration.

“For the first time in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, we deployed our independently developed 6,000-meter-class deep-sea remotely operated vehicle alongside a domestically produced autonomous underwater robot,” said Song Laiyong, technical lead of the vessel at the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey.

“Working in tandem near the seabed, they conducted high-precision tests and operations, yielding excellent results.”

Song emphasized that the collected data will serve as a fundamental resource for studying deep-sea geology, environments, and ecosystems.

The expedition focused on the Pacific Ocean’s deep-sea trenches, acquiring high-quality electromagnetic observation data from the ocean depths. Experts believe this information will aid in future site selection for scientific ocean drilling.

CCTV News released an electromagnetic profile map of the Pacific’s deep-sea trenches obtained during the survey.

The technique functions similarly to a CT scan of the Earth, analyzing natural electromagnetic field signals from beneath the seabed to detect the electrical properties of deep underground rocks.

The data helps infer stratigraphic structures, material compositions, and thermal conditions.

It was further reported that the Haiyang 6 is scheduled to depart for the Pacific again in the first half of 2026 to conduct more in-depth surveys of the ocean’s geology and environmental systems.

(SD-Agencies)