On March 1, the key special project of “The Impact of the Convergence of Pacific - Eurasian - Indian Plates on the Habitability of the Earth” of the National Key R&D Program “Earth System and Global Change”, led by SIO, was launched in Hangzhou. More than ten domestic experts in this field, including Academicians Yang Shufeng and Zhang Hongfu from Zhejiang University, and Academician Li Jiabiao from the SIO, formed an expert group for consultation.

Deputy Director Chen Jianfang delivered a speech on behalf of the project undertaking unit, stating that the SIO will fully implement the relevant management requirements of the National Key R&D Program, strengthen the organization and management of project implementation, and provide comprehensive support and guarantee for the smooth implementation of the project. He also requested to strengthen communication and collaboration among various topics of the project, fully listen to expert advice, and ensure efficient implementation of the project, thus achieving expected scientific results.

At the meeting, the project leader, Researcher Ding Weiwei, reported the overall situation of the project, and introduced key issues, overall goals, annual plans, assessment milestones of the project. Centering on the core objectives of deep dynamic process and habitability influence of super convergence of circular subduction systems in Southeast Asia, the project focuses on the intersection area of Australia and Southeast Asia, and intends to construct the deep mantle structure of the intersection area of Australia and Southeast Asia through large-scale networking sea-land seismic joint survey and systematic sampling, reveal the magma response mechanism of the Australia-Southeast Asia intersection area, propose the geodynamic mechanism of the super convergence system and its impact on the habitability of the Earth.

After carefully listening to the project report, the project expert group agreed with the key scientific issues and overall goals of the project, and pointed out that the follow-up work of the project should closely move round the overall goals; Besides, efforts should be made to fuse and integrate the results to form the overall highlight results under the unified conceptual framework, focus on the fundamental issues of the Earth system, implement specific elements of the impact of the Earth’s habitability, carefully consider the role of research results in the scientific and economic fields and their scientific significance at the global level, and strive to make the project results show the top level in China.