Venturing into the Deep Earth

Under the guidance of the “four orientations，” China’s scientific and technological innovation has accelerated the development trajectory in breadth， depth， speed and precision.

Relentless Progress： From “Following” to “Leading” in Deep Earth Exploration

Exploring deep underground， like reaching the skies and diving into the seas， is a significant achievement in humanity’s quest to explore， understand， and harness the natural world. Although China’s deep-earth exploration began relatively late， it has achieved in just a few years what previously took decades.

In April 2014， drilling began on the “Songke-2” well， marking a substantial step forward on China’s journey into the depths of the Earth. By May 2018， the “Songke-2” well was successfully completed， with the “Crust-1” drill reaching a depth of 7，018 meters， setting a new record for continental scientific drilling in China. The “Songke-2” well became China’s deepest scientific drill at the time and was also the world’s first continental scientific drill to penetrate Cretaceous terrestrial strata.

Advancing into the Earth’s Depths

Deep Earth exploration is essential to human survival， Earth management， and sustainable development. Increasing evidence shows that many surface phenomena have their roots deep within the Earth; without a solid understanding of these depths， we cannot fully grasp the Earth’s systems. This is particularly true over large areas and extended timescales. Geodynamic processes of material and energy exchange deep within the Earth drive surface changes， erosion， sedimentation， and natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides. These processes also determine the distribution of fossil fuels and other natural resources， key to understanding mountain formation， basin development， rock formation， mineralization， and disaster occurrence.

In the early 1990s， Germany led an international effort that brought together 250 experts from 28 countries to discuss the “International Continental Scientific Drilling Program.” On February 26， 1996， China， Germany， and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding， becoming the founding nations that officially launched the program.

In 2006， China issued the State Council’s Decision on Strengthening Geological Work， which identified crustal exploration as a national aim and priority. Following this， the Deep Exploration Technology and Experimentation Special Project was launched in 2008， a milestone for China’s deep-Earth exploration.

At the National Science and Technology Conference in 2016， President Xi Jinping emphasized that “advancing into the Earth’s depths is a strategic scientific issue we must address，” elevating geological science and innovation to a national strategic priority. Organizing and implementing major scientific projects for deep-Earth exploration has become a critical approach for advancing national science strategy， expanding developmental space， enhancing Earth knowledge， and addressing China’s energy resource shortages and natural disaster forecasting challenges.

On May 26， 2018， the “Songke-2” well was successfully completed， with the “Crust-1” drill reaching a depth of 7，018 meters， setting a new record for continental scientific drilling in China. The “Songke-2” well became China’s deepest scientific drill at the time and was also the world’s first continental scientific drill to penetrate Cretaceous terrestrial strata. This marked another solid step on China’s journey into the Earth’s depths.

A Heart Devoted to the Greater Good： A True Patriot’s Dedication

Despite China’s relatively late start in deep-Earth exploration， rapid advances over the past few years have exceeded previous decades of progress， elevating China from “following” to “running alongside” in global efforts， and even “l(fā)eading” in certain areas. This remarkable progress is due to the relentless dedication and sacrifices of China’s deep-Earth exploration research teams. Among these contributors， renowned geophysicist Huang Danian stands as a shining example.

Huang Danian， who famously inscribed the words， “Revitalizing China is our generation’s responsibility，” when graduating from university， answered the call of his homeland in 2009. He left behind significant scientific achievements and a comfortable life abroad to return to China. In a letter to the dean of the College of Geoscience and Technology at Jilin University， he wrote， “Most people choose to return home later in life， but for high-tech professionals， returning during our prime is where we can offer the most value. Now is when our country needs us most; those of us with experience， technology， ideas， and passion should return.”

Upon returning， Huang was appointed head of the ninth project under the Special Program for Deep Exploration Technology and Experimentation focused on the development and testing of key deep-Earth exploration instruments and equipment. Leading his team with an unwavering work ethic， Huang worked tirelessly， often taking the earliest flight to depart and the latest flight back to maximize working time and substituting full meals with a few ears of corn to sustain him during long workdays.

Under his leadership， China achieved breakthroughs in deep-Earth drilling technology for 10，000-meter depths， high-power ground-based electromagnetic exploration， fixed-wing drone magnetic surveys， and wireless， self-locating seismic exploration. His team’s success in the rapid mobile platform technology removed longstanding technical bottlenecks and helped overcome General Secretary technology restrictions on China.

On January 8， 2017， Huang Danian passed away at the age of 58. In recognition of his legacy， General Secretary Xi Jinping made the following significant remarks：

Comrade Huang Danian devoted himself to the ideal of serving his country through science， dedicating his life to strengthening China， revitalizing the nation， and contributing to the well-being of the people. His achievements in education and research are profoundly inspiring.

We all shall take Huang Danian as a role model： to learn from his patriotic devotion， his pioneering and committed spirit as an educator， and his noble selflessness. We should channel our love for our country and our aspirations to serve the great cause of national reform and development， aligning ourselves with the people’s enduring efforts to make history. Starting with our own work and responsibilities， we can contribute our talents and strength to the Two Centenary Goals and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.