Chinese scientists have begun digging a hole more than 10,000 meters deep in what Bloomberg says is part of an effort by “the world’s second-largest economy to open up new frontiers above and below the planet’s surface.” region in the north of the country, noting that it “marks a milestone in China’s exploration of the interior of the earth and provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the deep interior of the planet.”
The agency released a video showing the excavations:
During the drilling process, equipment and drill pipes weighing more than 2,000 tons will penetrate deep into the earth, penetrating more than 10 continental formations, with the aim of reaching a depth of 11,100 meters, the Chinese agency said. In his speech to the country’s leading scientists in 2021, Chinese President Xi Jiping called for progress in the exploration of the earth’s interior.
Bloomberg said drilling could help explore for minerals and energy resources, as well as assess the risks of environmental disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The deepest man-made well on Earth is still the Kola Deep Well, which reached a depth of 12,262 meters in 1989 after 20 years of drilling.
