China, Pakistan hold joint Indian Ocean expedition

KARACHI: Launching the countries’ first joint scientific collaboration at the North Indian Ocean along the Makran Trench on Sunday, Chinese and Pakistani researchers started an ocean-bottom seismograph (OBS) for the first time using Shi Yan 3, a scientific research vessel from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Scientists from China and Pakistan boarded China’s research vessel Shi Yan 3 at the port of Karachi in Pakistan on Saturday. The ship sailed to the Makran Trench in the Indian Ocean.

“The OBS can precisely detect any tremors on sea floor. We placed them along a test line through the Makran Trench. It is the first such research at this place. It is like a precise CT scan for the earth,” stated Lin Jian, a Chinese scientist.

Making use of multi-channel seismic surveys, scientists of both countries studied the geological structure and natural resources embedded near the Makran Trench. Their mission was aimed at helping with disaster prevention and mitigation as Makran Trench is prone to earthquakes and is considered as the shallowest trench in the world.

Syed Waseem Haider, a researcher from Pakistan, expressed joy on working with Chinese scientists using the new OBS system for the first time, as he believed that the opportunity brought with itself an enriching learning experience for him.