China discovers potential reserve of rare earth minerals in Himalayas: Report

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Chinese scientists have discovered a potentially enormous reserve of rare earth minerals in the Himalayas, which could significantly enhance China's global supplier status, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported Wednesday.

To quickly identify the deposits and gain “strategic advantages,” Chinese government geologists propose employing artificial intelligence (AI), it said.

The location of the deposits, along the southern border of Tibet, adds to the complexity of the ongoing territorial dispute with India.

A research team supported by the central government has been developing an AI system since 2020 that is capable of processing vast amounts of satellite and other data to pinpoint rare earth minerals on the Tibetan plateau.

The system has achieved an impressive accuracy rate of 96%, according to scientists from the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources at China University of Geosciences in Wuhan.

Chinese scientists launched a study in the Mount Everest and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau last month to study climate and environmental changes in the region, including the effects of westerly winds and monsoons.