China – Chinese media reported that the icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong-2 returned to Shanghai following concluding an expedition to Antarctica.
According to the “Binbai” electronic portal, one of the main tasks of the mission was to establish China’s fifth scientific station, which was called “Qinling,” in Antarctica.
The icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong-2 returned with a team of scientists on board to the port of Shanghai following more than five months of research trip to Antarctica, which became China’s 40th expedition.
In total, 460 scientists representing 80 different institutions participated in this expedition on the two icebreakers. During the voyage, the two ships traveled more than 80,000 nautical miles. The expedition was joined this time by the cargo ship Tianhui, which carried the equipment needed to build a new Chinese station in Antarctica.
The launch of the trip was announced in early February. The station is located in the Ross Sea region, and is designed to receive a scientific team consisting of 80 people in the summer and up to 30 people in the winter.
During this expedition, scientists also studied the impact of climate change on Antarctica’s ecosystems, and monitored the aquatic environment and atmosphere. In addition, Chinese scientists participated in international projects to assess the state of the ice sheet.
It is noteworthy that China is active in polar research, as it has been studying Antarctica since 1984, and has significantly intensified its efforts in this path in recent years. Currently, China has five stations there: Changcheng, Zhongshan, Kunlun, Taishan and Qinling.
It is noteworthy that the previous Chinese expedition to Antarctica took place from October 2022 to April 2023.
Source: TASS
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2024-04-21 17:41:36