Chinese research vessel begins 40-day scientific expedition in Western Pacific Ocean

Chinese research vessel Kexue, literally meaning "Science", departed from its home port in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Saturday, embarking on a 40-day scientific expedition in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Thirty-three researchers, as well as 57 crew members and technicians from over 10 domestic institutions aboard the vessel, will focus on two major scientific tasks. One is to investigate the variability of the Western Pacific current system and the warm pool and their roles in climate change. The other is to study the evolution of the Western Pacific's complex geology and geomorphology and their resource and environmental effects, according to the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the organizer of the expedition.

The expedition will also carry out multidisciplinary observations covering air-sea interactions, physical oceanography, marine ecology and biology, marine chemistry, and marine geology, the Qingdao-based institute said.