There is no "Dragon Palace" on the seabed, so why do scientists want to "dive" into the deep sea?

In the vast field of earth science, deep scientific drilling is like a mysterious key, gradually opening the door to our understanding of the inner world of the earth. It is not only a technical means, but also a bridge connecting the surface and the deep of the earth, providing us with an unprecedented perspective to peek into the mysteries hidden deep in the seabed, and playing a vital role in predicting geological disasters and protecting the human living environment.

One of the most significant achievements of deep scientific drilling is the acquisition of geological "historical materials". In the long evolution of the earth, each layer of rock is like a history book, recording rich information such as past geological events, climate change, and biological evolution. Through drilling, scientists can go deep into the seabed strata and take out core samples. These cores are like time capsules, bringing the secrets of the deep earth to the surface. For example, the sedimentary environment and mineral composition of different geological periods can be analyzed from the cores, and then the marine ecology, climate conditions and movement of the earth's plates at that time can be inferred. These geological "historical materials" provide the most direct and reliable basis for studying the evolutionary history of the earth, helping us to build a timeline of the development of life on earth and understand the changes of the earth over billions of years.

What is even more remarkable is that deep scientific drilling can achieve real-time offshore observation deep in the earth. Installing advanced scientific offshore instruments in scientific equipment is like setting up a "weather station" and building a "laboratory" inside the earth. This long-term, continuous, in-situ, real-time comprehensive observation has become the fourth platform after ground surface, air remote sensing and seabed observation platforms. It allows us to accurately measure a variety of parameters deep in the earth, such as temperature, pressure, stress, seismic wave propagation speed, etc. The following are some relevant specific data:

- Temperature: In the deep ocean, the temperature gradually decreases with the increase of depth, but in some special areas, such as near the seafloor hydrothermal vents, the temperature will rise sharply. According to observations, the temperature of some seafloor hydrothermal vents can be as high as 300℃-400℃, while the average temperature in the deep ocean is about 2℃-4℃. For example, in the hydrothermal vent area of ​​the East Pacific Rise, scientists have measured that the temperature of high-temperature fluids has reached more than 350℃. This extreme temperature condition has created a unique ecosystem, where some special organisms that adapt to high temperature environments live.

- Pressure data: For every 10-meter increase in water depth in the Earth's oceans, the water pressure will increase by about one standard atmospheric pressure. Take the Mariana Trench as an example, the deepest part of the Trench is 11,000 meters, where the water pressure is about 1,100 times the standard atmospheric pressure, or about 110 MPa, which is equivalent to the pressure of 2,000 adult elephants stepping on a person's back.

- Seismic wave propagation speed: Different rock layers and geological structures have a significant impact on the propagation speed of seismic waves. In the seafloor crust, the propagation speed of seismic waves is generally between several kilometers per second and more than ten kilometers per second. Through the precise measurement and analysis of the propagation speed of seismic waves, scientists can infer geological structural information such as the rock type and thickness of the seafloor strata and whether there are faults. For example, near some plate boundaries, changes in the propagation speed of seismic waves can help us determine the collision of plates and the location of subduction zones.

In the two special areas of volcanoes and Antarctica, deep scientific drilling has shown its unique value. In volcanic areas, the hot magma and frequent eruptions are strong manifestations of the release of energy from the earth's interior. Many volcanic eruptions in history have left a deep impression on humans. For example, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in the United States in 1980 was preceded by a series of earthquakes, which was a signal of stress adjustment in the deep crust. Through monitoring and analysis of these seismic data, scientists have initially realized that the volcano may be about to erupt. When the eruption occurred, the ash column was several thousand meters high, instantly destroying large tracts of surrounding forests, and the ash covered thousands of square kilometers of area, causing huge ecological damage and economic losses. This incident made people deeply aware of the tremendous power of volcanic eruptions and highlighted the necessity of deep monitoring of volcanoes. With the help of deep scientific drilling technology, implanted instruments are placed at different depths in deep wells near active fault zones and active volcanoes for real-time dynamic monitoring, just like installing sensors on the "pulse" of the volcano. Scientists hope to reveal the earthquake breeding process and volcanic eruption mechanism. Earthquakes are often caused by the accumulation and sudden release of stress in rocks inside the earth's crust. By monitoring changes in stress and micro-fractures of rocks at depth, we can capture earthquake signals in advance, providing the possibility for earthquake early warning. As for volcanic eruptions, monitoring the rising process of deep magma and changes in gas composition can help us predict the time, scale and eruption mode of volcanic eruptions. This is of great significance to people living in areas surrounding volcanoes. For example, in some volcanically active countries, such as Japan and Italy, the application of deep drilling monitoring technology can greatly improve the early warning capabilities of volcanic disasters and reduce casualties and property losses.

The Antarctic region has become another research focus with its cold ice sheet and unique geological environment. In addition to obtaining precious ice cores, long-term monitoring of the Antarctic continental ice layer and the subglacial geological environment is also crucial. By placing instruments in the ice layer, we can understand the laws of ice sheet stratification and flow, the distribution of temperature inside the ice layer, and the dry state of the ice-rock interface. This information helps us predict the stability of the ice sheet. As the largest freshwater reservoir on Earth, if the Antarctic ice sheet melts on a large scale, it will have a huge impact on global sea level rise, and then threaten many cities and ecosystems in coastal areas. For example, in recent years, with global warming, the melting rate of the Antarctic ice sheet has attracted much attention. According to relevant data, the annual melting rate of the ice sheet in some parts of Antarctica has reached several centimeters to tens of centimeters. Deep scientific drilling technology can provide us with detailed information inside the ice sheet, helping scientists to more accurately assess the risk of ice sheet melting, so as to formulate corresponding response strategies and better protect the human living environment.

However, deep earth exploration is not smooth sailing and still faces many challenges. The deep underground environment is extremely harsh. A variety of extreme conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, high corrosion, high potential and narrow space limit the use of instruments and data collection. Deep in the earth, the temperature can be as high as hundreds of degrees and the pressure is equivalent to thousands of atmospheres. Such an environment places extremely high demands on the materials and performance of instruments. Chinese scientists are working hard to overcome these difficulties and are committed to improving the miniaturization, integration and stability of instrument systems. Only by developing high-performance instruments that can adapt to deep extreme environments can the goal of deep earth exploration be truly achieved. For example, developing high-temperature and high-pressure resistant sensor materials, designing compact and efficient instrument integration solutions, and improving the anti-interference ability of instruments in high-potential environments. Through these efforts, a deep earth exploration system based on deep well groups and with well detection as the core is gradually being constructed. This system will create new means and platforms for human earth exploration, effectively improve the early warning capabilities of natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic activities, slow geological processes, and will also play an immeasurable role in deep earth resource exploration and development, environmental protection, national defense and military security, and other fields.

On the road of scientific research and innovation in deep earth exploration, many scientific and technological workers, like brave explorers, continue to advance into the depths of the earth. Their efforts are not only to satisfy scientific curiosity, but also to serve national development and people's lives. From the perspective of ensuring energy security, deep earth resource exploration and development can discover more mineral resources, oil and gas resources, etc., and provide a solid material foundation for the country's industrial development. In terms of environmental protection, through the study of the deep earth, we can better understand the operating mechanism of the earth system, predict the impact of climate change on the earth's environment, and thus formulate more effective environmental protection policies. In the field of national defense and military security, deep earth exploration technology can be used to monitor underground military facilities and prevent the impact of geological disasters on military bases. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, we have reason to believe that deep scientific drilling will achieve more breakthroughs, so that scientific drilling work will bear more fruitful results and illuminate the way forward for the future development of mankind.

In short, real-time deep seabed research is a very challenging and forward-looking work in the field of earth science. It integrates multidisciplinary knowledge and technology, from geology, geophysics, geochemistry to material science, engineering technology, etc. Through deep scientific drilling, we are gradually unveiling the mystery of the deep earth and building a more complete earth system model, providing strong scientific support for humans to deal with various geological disasters, rationally use earth resources, and protect the earth's environment, so that we can survive and develop more safely and sustainably in our home, the earth.