Core Investigation of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program from the Cretaceous Songliao Basin (SK-1/SK-2/SK-3), NE China

The exploration of the universe, of the earth's interior and of the oceans are three great endeavors of humanity challenging nature in order to improve living conditions for humans. Scientific drilling is a significant exploration tool in current earth science research. We can directly observe the lithosphere which we know little about and obtain the rock record from its deeper parts through scientific drilling programs. Drilling provides important information about natural resources, disaster prediction and a variety of environmental problems currently facing modern human society. The Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) in 1968, followed by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), led early to a major scientific breakthrough and geosciences revolution which has changed our views of the Earth.