China has
activated the world's largest antenna. The exact location of which has not been
known to anyone yet. With the help of this antenna, signals can now be sent to
submarines as well. Also, due to the activation of this antenna, the power of
China in the sea is expected to increase further because the signal sent from
this antenna can travel thousands of kilometers in land and water, follow to
the channel to get more such information.
China has been slowly but steadily working its way to the top.
Frequently making headlines with its space-related developments, the country
now claims to be operating the world's largest antenna for its submarine
operations.
What's special about the antenna is the fact that it was designed
to maintain underwater communications over 1,900 miles (3,000 km), enough
to reach Guam, the biggest U.S. military base in the western Pacific Ocean,
according to the project’s lead engineer Zha Ming and his colleagues from the
Wuhan Maritime Communication Research Institute, reports South China Morning Post.
While the gigantic antenna's current location remains unknown, the team
said it lies somewhere 620 miles (1,000 km) south of Beijing, 1,242 miles
(2,000 km) southeast of Dunhuang in northwest China, and 620 miles (1,000
km) east of Mianyang in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
The exact site of the facility is unknown, however, it is thought to be
located in the Dabie mountains, a protected nature reserve spanning the provinces
of Hubei, Anhui, and Henan, South China Morning Post reported.
The antenna,
which is made out of a network of cables and pylons similar to those seen in
regular power lines, would appear from space as a massive cross measuring more
than 100 kilometers (62 miles) long and wide.
Copper nodes,
on the other hand, are deeply embedded in thick granite at the endpoints of those
lines. Two strong subsurface transmitters, each capable of operating
independently in the event that one is broken, charge one megawatt of
electrical current and transform the Earth into a massive radio station.
China has activated the
world’s largest antenna to signal to submarines patrolling thousands of
kilometers away. This antenna is also being used to strengthen civilian
communications with the military. The exact location of this antenna is not yet
known, but it is believed to be located somewhere in the Debei Mountains, a
protected natural reserve spread across Hubei, Anhui and Henan provinces. With
the activation of this antenna, China’s power in the sea is expected to
increase further. The signals sent from this antenna can travel thousands of
kilometers on land and in water.
A paper published in the
Chinese Journal of Ship Research details that the receiving devices
planted 700 feet (200 m) below the surface on the seafloor can pick up
signals from the giant antenna 800 miles (1,300 km) away.
The antenna is built using
a large network of cables and pylons similar to that of traditional power
lines. The system works through two underground transmitters that charge with
electric current, and thus, turn the Earth into a gigantic radio station,
reports SCMP.
According to the research
team, the Chinese antenna is the world’s first large-scale extremely low
frequency (ELF) facility open to non-military users that can generate electromagnetic waves from
0.1 to 300 Hz. These waves can travel long distances both underwater and below
the surface with ease.
But adjusting wasn't easy.
If the electric currents get too powerful, they could create a magnetic field
that could affect the cables' conductivity. That's why the generated radio
waves should be fine-tuned. The team said that they have solutions to these
problems and the facility has exceeded the previously-set necessary
standards.
While these signals will
be mainly used to send and receive important messages to and from vast
distances, scientists have also stated that they could be used to monitor fault
lines below the surface and help assess possible earthquake risks for Chinese
cities.
This antenna is spread
over a radius of 100 km.
When viewed from space, this antenna looks like a giant cross. This antenna
looks like a normal power line made up of a network of cables and poles. The
length and width of this antenna is said to be 100 km. The copper nodes at the
end of the lines seem to be deeply embedded in the coarse granite. Two powerful
underground transmitters have been installed to drive this antenna. In case one
is faulty or unusable, another transmitter can be used. These transmitters are
capable of generating one megawatt of electrical current.
China’s biggest challenge
is separating man-made signals from naturally occurring low-frequency
background noise. China also conducted a joint experiment with Russia to see
how far the signal could travel from the ground. During this time a Russian
station received a message from 7,000 km away, but due to the increased
distance, the communication was one-way and only encrypted test messages could
be sent. But Chinese military researchers said submarines and smart devices
such as underwater drones can receive unilateral commands or act on command
orders to target their targets.
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