A Xiamen University professor alleges that there is a large basalt reef under cover of sand in the centre of the Taiwan Strait.

“Its great meaning lies in the basalt reef and can be built as an artificial island which is bigger than Xiamen Island. It makes the Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project more realistic,” said Mr. Cai Aizhi, professor of College of Oceanography and Environmental Science of Xiamen University.

It has been thought that the Changyuan Shallows, which is located in the centre of the Taiwan Strait, was a huge undersea desert. But Professor Cai said that there is a large basalt reef under the sand.

The Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project is an undersea tunnel proposed in 1996. At nearly 150 km, the proposed tunnel would be nearly 3 times the length of the Channel Tunnel across the English Channel. However, the project has never been considered realistic because of its staggering cost and technical difficulties.

According to Professor Cai, the basalt reef can be built as an artificial island covering an area of 200 - 300 square kilometers. It can link nearby shallows to form a large new land.

Translated byWOXnews.com

SOURCE Link:Xiamen Daily