Yi-Gang Xu: the Earth's deep interior holds the key to habitability

The deep Earth is the engine of whole Earth systems and plays a key role in surface evolution and geological hazards. Scientists have been deciphering the internal processes that shape our habitable planet, especially since the formulation of plate tectonics theory. To date, how the deep Earth works remains mysterious. At the end of 2020, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) started to set up the Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, headquartered in the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG), with long-term support for these emerging and interdisciplinary research areas. NSR recently talked to Professor Yi-Gang Xu, GIG’s Director, about why the study of the Earth's interior is essential, the current progress of deep Earth science in China, and what makes our planet habitable.