In a major milestone for the Chinese mainland's deep-sea exploration, the Jiaolong submersible has now completed over 10 manned dives beneath Arctic ice as part of the Ocean Voyage 92 expedition. 🌊❄️
Setting sail from Qingdao in Shandong Province on the Chinese mainland's eastern coast along the Yellow Sea on July 15, 2025, the Shenhai Yihao, or Deep Sea No. 1, research vessel carried Jiaolong alongside the Xuelong 2 icebreaker. After sea trials in the South China Sea and a full localization upgrade, Jiaolong officially kicked off its polar mission—and didn't look back!
On its Arctic runs, the submersible conducted high-def surveys, collected water samples with a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) profiler, and deployed ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) to map the seabed. 📡🚀 Thanks to AI-powered image analysis, researchers spotted big shifts in benthic (seafloor) life—density, species diversity, and even creature sizes changed across just tens to hundreds of kilometers. This helps us piece together how underwater landscapes shape who lives there.
Early findings also include signs of ancient cold seeps: suspected pockmarks, dissolved holes, carbonate rocks, and banded shell relics hint at past methane eruptions on the Arctic seafloor. This is a big clue for geologists tracing methane’s journey through Earth’s history—and a reminder of how the planet’s deep past still echoes today.
All this cutting-edge data is fueling the creation of a polar biodiversity map, giving conservationists the tools to protect these fragile habitats. 🔬🌐 For anyone curious about our planet’s final frontiers, Jiaolong’s dives are a front-row seat to discovery.
Stay tuned as more insights emerge from the icy depths—our next deep dive into science is just around the corner! 🚢✨
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China's Jiaolong completes over 10 manned deep dives in the Arctic
cgtn.com
