Chinese deep-ocean drilling ship brings home ‘precious’ South China Sea samples

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China's deep-ocean drilling vessel Mengxiang returned from its first expedition in the South China Sea with basalt core samples and a national depth record. The 30-day mission, organized by the China Geological Survey, tested the ship's capabilities and collected material for research into the region's tectonic history.

The ocean drilling ship Mengxiang has returned from its first expedition in the South China Sea, where it set a national depth record and obtained basalt core samples that could help to unravel the region’s tectonic history. The 30-day expedition organised by the China Geological Survey tested the operational capabilities of the world’s most powerful deep-ocean drilling ship, according to a report published on Monday by the official ministry newspaper Science and Technology Daily. During the...