China has completed the world's first underwater cooperative operation involving both a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in polar regions during its 15th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition.
Concluding last Friday, this expedition is the largest of its kind for China to date. Organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, this round of Arctic survey was jointly carried out by four vessels, including Xuelong 2, Jidi, Shenhai-1 and Tansuo-3.
During the expedition, the Jiaolong manned submersible carried by Shenhai-1 (Deep Sea No.1) scientific research vessel conducted the underwater collaborative operation with an ROV.
"As a manned submersible, Jiaolong has traditionally operated alone. This time, we expanded its capabilities by working together with an ROV. We had to overcome challenges related to communication, positioning, and coordination -- key issues for successful joint underwater operations," said Fu Wentao, chief pilot of Jiaolong's first Arctic dive.
On August 14, Jiaolong and the ROV completed their first synchronized dive, testing underwater positioning and communication systems. The following day, they carried out a second joint mission, during which the ROV captured videos of Jiaolong taking samples of underwater life and sediments on the seabed, while Jiaolong handed over rocks and operation markers to the ROV. The two also recorded footage of each other operating deep beneath the sea.
"Collaborative operations between a manned submersible and an ROV can produce results greater than the sum of their parts. This approach addresses the limited sampling capacity of manned vehicles underwater and exemplifies how human ingenuity and robotic precision can be combined. It's a natural and necessary evolution for deep-sea exploration," said Li Dewei, deputy director of the Deep Sea Engineering Technology Center at China's National Deep Sea Center.
China achieves historic undersea collaboration between manned submersible, ROV in Arctic expedition
At least 16 people have been killed and 11 seriously injured as of 05:20 on Friday after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday night, according to Nagqu City's earthquake relief headquarters.
Local rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the epicenter of the quake in Baqeng County in Xizang’s Nagqu City, with an advance team from the Baqen County Fire and Rescue Brigade, consisting of eight personnel and two vehicles, successfully rescuing one trapped survivor after arriving at the scene in the early hours of Friday.
The Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps immediately mobilized 347 rescue personnel, 82 fire vehicles, and 15 search-and-rescue dogs, along with over 4,200 pieces of equipment and more than 9,400 items of logistical support supplies, to the quake zone.
Public security departments in Xizang also dispatched over 300 police officers to assist emergency rescue and relief operations. The police contingent will help evacuate residents to safe areas, assess structural damage to buildings, and ensure security in affected areas.
The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 22:33 on Thursday at a depth of 10km, was monitored at 32.40 degrees north latitude and 93.79 degrees east longitude, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
Xizang has activated a Level-II earthquake disaster emergency response, according to the regional emergency command center.
Maru Township, at the epicenter of the earthquake, is about 70 km from the county seat.
Lhawang Dagpo, deputy head of the township, said there had been reports of collapsed houses in Maru, and that rescue and relief operations were underway in villages across the township.
He added that the tremor was clearly felt at the township government office, where the walls of the office building sustained cracks.
Strong shaking was reported in the county seat of Baqen, where power was cut off and telecommunications services were disrupted.
Tremors were also felt in other parts of Xizang, including Qamdo and Nyingchi.
The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV emergency response after the earthquake, sending a work team to the affected areas to guide emergency response and disaster relief work, according to the ministry.
A 4.3-magnitude aftershock was felt in Zadoi County in Qinghai Province, which borders Baqen County, at 23:12 on Thursday, according to CENC.
Strong tremors were felt in townships along the border between the two counties, with cracks appearing in some houses. No building collapses or casualties have been confirmed in these areas.
At least 16 killed in Xizang earthquake: local emergency command
