Global network to use big data to protect Earth

Project linking 1,200 scientists to 'unlock the secrets' of the planet

China is building a global big data network to study Earth and support research on climate change, as well as predict and mitigate natural disasters, scientists said on Monday.

The project will include more than 1,200 scientists at 130 institutions worldwide and cover more than a dozen subjects, ranging from oceanology to meteorology, according to Guo Huadong, who is leading the project for the Chinese Academy of Sciences.