On October 20, the third meeting of the China-Russia Geological Seminar on the Arctic Eurasia Basin and Gakkel Mid-Ocean Ridge, co-sponsored by the SIO and the Federal Mineral Resources Agency (Rosnedra) of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, was simultaneously held online and offline. Researchers from the Russian Geological Research Institute (VSEGEI) and the All-Russian Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources (VNIIOkeangeologia) and researchers from the SIO working on Arctic research jointly discussed the matters related to China-Russia cooperation in carrying out joint scientific investigations in the Arctic Ocean.

At the meeting, five scientists from the SIO, including Shen Zhongyan, Ling Zilong, Tan Pingchuan, Zhang Tao and Lu Jianggu, respectively introduced the research progress of China’s 13th Arctic Scientific Expedition, the Eurasia Basin ocean-continent transition zone, the magmatic activity of the Gakkel Mid-Ocean Ridge, the lithospheric structure, and the origin of basalt. Regarding the cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic, Researcher Zhang Tao proposed the China-Russia cooperation plan for China’s 14th Arctic Scientific Expedition and the 2025 China-Russia Arctic Joint Voyage Plan. The Russian side fully supported the scientific issues raised by China side regarding the Arctic Ocean and further proposed the establishment of a working group.

This seminar is a further development of cooperation between the SIO and the relevant research institute of Russia based on good cooperation. It is a further deepening of scientific research on the Arctic seabed by the SIO, following the Joint Arctic Scientific Middle-ocean Ridge Insight Expedition (JASMInE). It has substantially promoted the implementation of the United Nations “Ocean Decade” Program-Arctic Deep Observation for Multi-sphere Cycling (ADOMIC) project led by the SIO.