Push foward Earth CT-Integrating Deep Earth Profiles to Make Global Transections via Wide Open Collaboration

The Earth CT initiative has been discussed during the International Symposium, DEEP-2018, DEEP-2021 and DEEP 2024. With the kicking off of SinoProbe II, it would be pushed forward in real soon or later.

 

Deep Earth processes control the geological evolution, including the formation of natural resources, natural disasters, and large-scale environmental changes at the surface of the Earth. The Earth CT programme aims to globally construct long range profiles in wide corridors to image the lithosphere by integrative interpretation of geoscientific data. The programme will integrate data from structural geology and tectonic interpretation at global and continental scales, geochemical surveys in geotransect corridors to define their crustal and lithospheric composition, deep seismic reflection and refraction/wide-angle reflection profiling to identify crustal and upper mantle structure and composition, magnetotelluric(MT) sounding for the electrical structure, broadband passive seismic tomography techniques for global and regional velocity structure and receiver functions for crustal/upper mantle structure, as well as gravity and magnetic regional and global interpretation. Scientific drilling for deep earth sampling and detection of anomalous features in key tectonic belts will be based on the interpretation of the above data and will add substantially to the uniqueness of the global and regional interpretation. The aims of the project are to reveal the deep structure of the lithosphere, recognize the deep processes of plate movement and their control and influence on the surface system, explore energy and mineral resources at depth, and provide insight into geoscience frontier issues, such as the mechanisms controlling natural disasters and their intrinsic dynamics.

 

The following approach has been supported by several societies, academic institutions and research facilities specializing in contourites, as well as proposed by Shuwen Dong, Larry Brown, Hans Thybo and many worldwide leading scientists.

(1)   To construct global “Big Cross” of the lithosphere by integration of intercontinental and regional geoscience transects based on reflection profiles.

(2)   Lithosphere geotransect and geosciences corridor in Critical Zones.

(3)   Global Array of BBS.