Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, on Tuesday descended to 3,117 meters below sea level while operating in the northwestern Indian Ocean.
The operation marked the 38th ocean scientific expedition by a Chinese team, and Jiaolong's first deep-sea exploration of the year.
File photo from 2012 shows Jiaolong, CHina's manned deep-sea submersible /Xinhua Photo
Yu Hongjun, field commander of the mission, said the expedition fully tested the system, and collected a variety of samples including 4.2 kg of sulfide, 18.7 kg of basalt and 16 liters of deep-sea water.
Han Xiqiu, one of the scientists on the expedition, said future dives will evaluate the resource potential of the area.
File photo from 2012 shows Jiaolong, China's manned deep-sea submersible /Xinhua Photo
During the 124-day voyage, the Jiaolong submersible will also explore the South China Sea and Yap Trench.
Named after a mythical dragon, Jiaolong reached its deepest depth of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.
(Source: Xinhua)
