China-Chile team launch mission to study 435-mile-deep Atacama Trench

A joint China-Chile expedition has launched a three-month mission (January–March) to explore a 435-mile section of the Atacama Trench, a deep subduction zone in the eastern Pacific Ocean where the Nazca and South American tectonic plates collide. Operating from the Chilean port of Valparaiso, the mission is led by Chinese researcher Du Mengran and represents the largest deep-sea operation ever conducted in the region. The expedition utilizes the advanced Chinese manned submersible Fendouzhe ("Striver"), capable of reaching depths over 10,000 meters, allowing scientists to directly observe and sample the trench’s extreme environment, including chemosynthetic life forms that survive without sunlight. The mission aims to address three critical scientific frontiers: improving understanding of seismic activity to enhance tsunami and earthquake disaster prevention, investigating the trench’s role in global carbon cycling, and searching for rare biochemical compounds that could lead to medical breakthroughs. The team employs cutting-edge technology such as autonomous robotic