Recently, the inaugural symposium for the "Deep Drilling Plan in Weihe Basin" was successfully held in Weinan, Shaanxi province, marking a pivotal moment in the project's site selection process. This ambitious plan was collaboratively launched by Academician An Zhisheng from the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, alongside a distinguished team of scientists from various nations. The primary objective of this endeavor is to drill cores exceeding 10,000 meters in depth, enabling in-depth research into the co-evolution of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. This research will also seek to unravel the patterns of climate and environmental changes in East Asia and assess the potential of geothermal and helium resources.

The project is meticulously structured into two phases. The first phase aims to acquire 3,000 meters of high-quality cores, which will be instrumental in reconstructing climate variability since the Late Miocene era. The second phase, on the other hand, strives to attain 10,000 meters of sedimentary records, aiming to explore the intricate coupling relationship between monsoon evolution and geological structures. To provide expert guidance and oversight, several eminent academicians and specialists visited the drilling site.

Nestled between the Loess Plateau and the Qinling Mountains, the Weihe Basin boasts a sedimentary layer thickness of 7 kilometers, making it an ideal locale for exploring the climate and environmental changes that have occurred during the Cenozoic era. This strategic location underscores the significance of the project and its potential contributions to our understanding of Earth's geological and climatic history.