Qinling Station, rising from the ice field

The original title of this article is "Qinling Station, rising from the ice field - written on the occasion of the opening of China's fifth Antarctic research station"

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Yuan and Wang Libin

On February 7, China's Qinling Station in Antarctica opened.

Standing on the ancient ice field and exploring the unknown, this research station, named after the ancestral root of the Chinese nation, has illuminated new coordinates of the frozen continent and set a new benchmark for polar architecture. It is destined to make new contributions to benefiting mankind and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

China's Qinling Station in Antarctica photographed on February 6, 2024. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Zhang Tijun)

New coordinates

On the 7th, Endersberg Island was covered with snow and fog. The main building of Qinling Station, shaped like a Southern Cross, lies on the ridge of a hill, overlooking the Ross Sea.

In the open space in front of the building, Wu Lin, a member of the 40th Chinese Antarctic Expedition who is over 60 years old, gazed at the brand-new research station, just as he looked at China’s first research station in Antarctica on that morning 39 years ago - the Great Wall Station.

Research stations are an important foundation for polar scientific research. On November 20, 1984, China sent its first Antarctic research team, with the establishment of the Antarctic Great Wall Station as its top priority. After working day and night, the Great Wall Station soon stood on King George Island.

Since then, one Chinese coordinate after another has lit up: Zhongshan Station was completed in February 1989; Kunlun Station opened in February 2009; and Taishan Station was completed in February 2014.

China's Qinling Station in Antarctica taken on February 6, 2024 (drone photo). Xinhua News Agency (Photo by He He)

Antarctic scientific research is of great significance and is a noble cause that benefits mankind. The "Xuelong 2" was independently built and put into use; the "Xueying 601" opened the "aviation era" of China's polar scientific research... Chinese polar researchers in the new era have been creating miracles.

This is an unprecedented challenge.

The unloading of over 9,000 tons of materials for station construction is the largest single unloading of materials in the history of China's Antarctic station construction; the main building of Qinling Station is the largest single building in the history of China's Antarctic station construction...

"The construction of Qinling Station is quite challenging. Although we have made a lot of preparations in advance, the environment here is extremely harsh and the construction of the station is full of uncertainties," said Wei Fuhai, deputy leader of the 40th Chinese Antarctic Expedition.

This is a test of willpower.

The construction window in Antarctica is measured in hours. The team members seized the polar daylight and worked against the clock, often not stopping until the weather turned bad. The strong wind brought snowflakes, and the sky and the earth were gray and white. The team members stood in a row, holding a rope against the wind wall, groping back and forth between the construction site and the dormitory. For some small-sized nuts, the team members simply took off their gloves and twisted them despite the excruciating pain. If they were not careful, their fingers would get stuck, so they had to tear them apart with gritted teeth...

"The conditions for building the site are much better now, but this spirit of risking everything has been passed down from generation to generation of team members," Wu Lin said with emotion.

This is the speed of builders.

It took 13 days to unload all the materials for the construction of the site; in about 2 months, more than 900 structural members, 84 functional modules, and more than 1,100 curtain wall panels of the main building were installed...

"Open the station!" When the first five-star red flag slowly rose at the Qinling Station, the team members sang the national anthem, and tears streamed down their scarred faces.

The Antarctic continent has once again lit up its new coordinates!

On January 16, 2024, members of the 40th Chinese Antarctic Expedition were installing purlins at the logistics center. Photo by Hu Qing, Xinhua News Agency

New Benchmark

Going up the stairs along the main gate of Qinling Station, the indoor steel structures are well-arranged and connected to each other; outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the vast snowy fields and the integration of heaven and earth are visible; the dormitory modules are fully furnished, ready for you to move in with your luggage...

What kind of answer did the designers and builders submit?

——Innovation-driven

In early February, the Antarctic was hit by increasingly violent snowstorms, and the Qinling Station withstood the test time and again.

"In such an extreme environment, designing and building a safe and advanced building is a test of China's wisdom and solutions." Faced with endless challenges, Qinling Station chief designer Duan Meng led the team to tackle them one by one.

To cope with the extremely large wind loads, the design team adjusted the building form and layout according to local conditions, and strengthened the weak parts through wind tunnel and snow blowing tests. The Qinling Station is designed to withstand wind speeds of 65 meters per second, equivalent to a wind force of more than level 17, far exceeding the maximum known wind speed in the area. In order to solve the "cold brittleness phenomenon" of steel, domestic manufacturers use special lightweight and high-strength technologies and materials to produce steel that can withstand ultra-low temperatures of minus 60 degrees Celsius and strong corrosion in coastal environments. In view of the dry and flammable environment in Antarctica, the smart fire eye firefighting system is used to accurately identify fire conditions within 10 seconds...

——Intensive and efficient

The central ring corridor connects the east and west wings, and the integrated design makes Qinling Station unique.

"Taking into account the special harsh environment of the local area, such as high altitude, strong wind and radiation, the building adopts a centralized form." He Zhu, deputy chief designer of Qinling Station, said that the daily activities such as work and life of the expedition team members can be carried out completely in the integrated main building.

Mechanical vibration, noise interference, air quality... The centralized layout poses challenges to the performance of the internal space. In response, the design team has given targeted solutions, such as: to relieve the psychological pressure of the expedition team members, the building interior uses bright colors and warm wooden surfaces; a plant greenhouse is set up to make the house green; the floor-to-ceiling windows of the restaurant face the bay, so that the team members can enjoy the excellent Antarctic scenery.

——Green and low carbon

The Antarctic environment is unique and fragile, and the concept of "green exploration" runs through the entire design and construction process of Qinling Station. New energy accounts for more than 60%; all paints and building materials are formaldehyde-free and fluorine-free; passive building technology is used to cope with extreme environments; independent energy supply is implemented for wintering and summering areas, and flexible settings and adjustments are made according to working conditions...

During the construction process, learning garbage classification was the first lesson for the team members; the main building and the logistics center were staggered to reduce the disturbance of the construction to the Antarctic environment; prestressed prefabricated panels were used on the apron to reduce construction waste...

Team member Zheng Di has participated in the upgrading and renovation of many survey stations. He was impressed by the Qinling Station’s requirements for environmental protection details, “garbage alone is divided into four or five categories.”

A new chapter

In a bay three or four kilometers north of Qinling Station, there are many Adélie penguins living, and the scene is full of vitality.

"In 2021, our country participated in the proposal to establish a protected area here. However, due to limited hardware conditions, we are currently mainly conducting some simple observations and research." Zhao Kai, a member of the expedition team, said that he believes that the new station will support more comprehensive and in-depth research in the future.

With Qinling Station as the fulcrum, a series of scientific surveys will be gradually launched.

The Ross Sea region where the Qinling Station is located is believed to preserve a rare and complete marine ecosystem on Earth. This area was once a blank in China's Antarctic scientific research layout.

"The unique geographical location of Qinling Station can bring differentiated scientific research value and is a useful supplement to my country's existing scientific research layout." Shen Jun, director of the Polar Expedition Office of the State Oceanic Administration, said that in the future, relying on Qinling Station to carry out surveys and observation monitoring of marine ecology, sea ice, geophysics, terrestrial ecology, birds, etc., will provide basic support for assessing the Antarctic ecological environment and climate change.

With Qinling Station as the fulcrum, China's polar expedition support system will be further improved.

Antarctic scientific research, represented by research stations, is of utmost importance. Qinling Station is China's fifth Antarctic research station, China's third permanent research station, and China's first Antarctic research station facing the Pacific sector.

Research stations, polar research ships, inland research teams, aviation support... China's polar research support system has been further strengthened, further expanding China's substantive presence in the polar regions. During the construction of the Qinling Station, international cooperation was common: the Qinling Station construction team took an Italian flight to Antarctica; the Xuelong 2 helped transport more than 20 South Korean research team members to Lyttelton Harbor, New Zealand...

When exploring the polar regions, cooperation and communication are eternal themes.

Zhang Tijun, deputy director of the China Polar Research Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources, said that in the future, China will rely on the Qinling Station to manage the Endersberg Island Antarctic Special Protected Area with relevant countries and carry out ecological monitoring of the Ross Sea Marine Reserve. In addition, relevant international cooperation will be carried out with other national research stations in the surrounding areas.

On the Antarctic ice field, Qinling Station will write a new chapter of better understanding, protecting and utilizing the polar regions.