Think Tank: China Mapping the World's Oceans

For years, Chinese research vessels have been studying the seafloor around the world.

In October 2021, the U.S. Navy’s Seawolf-class fast attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) collided with an unknown seamount in the South China Sea near Hainan Island, China. The collision caused the submarine to be out of service for several months, with repair costs potentially reaching as high as $50 million.

More than 15 years earlier, the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarine USS San Francisco (SSN-711) also crashed into an uncharted underwater mountain near Guam, resulting in one sailor’s death and nearly a hundred injuries. The damage was catastrophic—so severe that the vessel nearly sank.

Navies worldwide have long recognized the dangers lurking beneath the waves, including these unknown seamounts. Nearly 95% of the world’s oceans remain unexplored and lack high-resolution maps.

As explained by NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration, the challenge lies in the extreme conditions of the deep sea—intense pressure and total darkness. Deep-sea exploration is estimated to be 100 times more costly and risky than space exploration, limiting direct human observation of the seafloor to less than 0.001% of the total area.

Although about 27.3% of the seafloor has now been mapped using modern high-resolution technologies, some seamounts remain uncharted—evidenced by the two incidents involving U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarines.

Reuters reported earlier this month: “China is conducting large-scale seabed mapping and monitoring operations across the Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans to accumulate detailed knowledge of marine environments.”

Beijing has used its advanced research vessels to chart the seafloor, including the Dongfanghong-3, operated by Ocean University of China.

This research vessel has been active in strategic areas of the Indian Ocean, particularly near the Strait of Malacca. The Strait of Malacca is one of the most critical maritime chokepoints in the world, serving as the primary passage connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

More vital than the Strait of Hormuz—currently under heightened attention due to ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions—is the Strait of Malacca. It carries approximately 25% to 30% of global trade cargo and over 35% of global oil shipments by sea, making it essential to the economies of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. At its narrowest point, only 2.7 kilometers (1.67 miles) wide, the strait represents a crucial yet extremely vulnerable maritime security corridor. While the main shipping lanes are well-mapped, the seafloor topography remains complex, with depths as shallow as 37 meters (121 feet) in certain areas.

China operates a fleet of oceanographic "research" vessels

Further investigations by Reuters reveal that over the past five years, China has deployed at least 42 research vessels across the Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans to track fish stocks and conduct mineral exploration.

The U.S. Navy is also mapping the seafloor

China is not the only nation striving to gain clearer insight into the underwater world. The U.S. Navy has already created extensive seabed maps for navigation safety, anti-submarine warfare, and strategic intelligence.

The U.S. Navy uses autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and satellite altimetry to map seafloor topography and frequently participates in global collaborative projects. In 2024, the Pentagon signed an agreement with Norwegian company Kongsberg to deploy its AUVs for seabed mapping.

Australia, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Spain are also utilizing similar technologies.

Source: The National Interest

Author: Peter Sutch

Date: March 31, Washington Time

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861247971963907/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author