China's 40th Antarctic expedition team sets out to explore the sea! What will the new research station look like? How long will it take to be built?

On the morning of November 1st, with the sound of a majestic and long whistle, the 40th Chinese Antarctic Scientific Expedition organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources set out on a scientific expedition lasting more than five months.

For the first time, this Antarctic scientific expedition mission was supported by three ships: the "Xuelong" and "Xuelong 2" polar scientific research icebreakers departed from Shanghai, mainly carrying out scientific investigations, personnel transportation and logistical supply tasks; the "Tianhui" cargo ship departed from Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, mainly responsible for the transportation of materials for the construction of the new scientific research station.

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

my country to build new scientific research station in Antarctica

The survey will focus on three ships (Xuelong 2, Xuelong and Tianhui merchant ships), five seas (Astronaut Sea, Amundsen Sea, Ross Sea, waters adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula, and Prydz Bay), and five stations (Kunlun, Zhongshan, Great Wall, Taishan, and Ross Sea Hub Station).

At the same time, the most prominent highlight of this expedition is the construction of the new Ross Sea Station. Located in the coastal area of ​​the Ross Sea in East Antarctica, the station is my country's fifth Antarctic research station, the third permanent research station after the Great Wall and Zhongshan stations, and the first research station facing the Pacific sector. It will carry out multi-sphere and multi-disciplinary observation and scientific research work such as atmospheric environment, marine basic environment, and biological ecology. After completion, it is expected to accommodate 80 summer research personnel and 30 winter research personnel.

The establishment of the new scientific research station will provide basic support for assessing the Antarctic ecological environment and climate change through investigations, observations and monitoring of marine ecology, sea ice, glaciers, sea level, atmosphere, geophysics, high-altitude atmospheric physics, terrestrial ecology, land and marine geology, and birds.

How difficult is Antarctic scientific research? Why build a new station?

The magical Antarctic continent has attracted polar scientific researchers from all over the world to study and work there, and they have established a large number of scientific research stations in Antarctica. But at the same time, the long dark nights, the bone-chilling cold, the empty snow, the rare species... What is daunting about Antarctica is not only the harsh natural environment, but also the tremendous mental pressure caused by the extreme conditions.

As one of the most scarce natural spaces on Earth, Antarctica is the "golden key" to solving many scientific mysteries. The evolution of ecosystems in extreme environments is unique and magical; deep ice cores are valuable samples for studying climate change during geological history; the state of the Antarctic ice sheet directly affects global climate change and the human environment... The scientific research value of Antarctica is irreplaceable. Only by fully understanding and understanding Antarctica through scientific research can we better protect and utilize the Antarctic environment.

On February 26, 2019, China's Antarctic Zhongshan Station celebrated its 30th anniversary. The picture shows a corner of Zhongshan Station (taken on February 12). (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Shiping)

More than 100 years have passed since Norwegian polar explorer Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911. Humans have gained an in-depth understanding of Antarctica through scientific exploration, but this understanding is still limited. In order to continue working in extreme environments, scientific research stations are the most basic support platforms and logistical support facilities for scientific research team members. my country's existing Great Wall Station, Zhongshan Station, Kunlun Station and Taishan Station are located in the southwest Antarctic, the east Antarctic and the center of the ice sheet, respectively. The Ross Sea region where the fifth scientific research station is located is the preferred route to reach the Antarctic continent and the South Pole by ship. The top of the bay is very close to the South Pole, which can bring differentiated scientific research value, optimize my country's existing scientific research layout, and accelerate the improvement of Antarctic scientific research.

On February 7, 2018, the site selection and foundation laying ceremony of China's fifth Antarctic research station, the Ross Sea New Station, was officially held on Endersberg Island. The picture shows the temporary building of China's Ross Sea New Station on Endersberg Island overlooking from a helicopter. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Bai Guolong)

The new station is the first research station facing the Pacific sector and is bound to become an important milestone in my country's scientific research. Through multidisciplinary comprehensive scientific surveys of the land, sea, glaciers in the Ross Sea region, and key inland areas of Antarctica such as the Dry Valleys and the Transverse Mountains, it will provide support for understanding the natural characteristics of the above-mentioned regions.

Since the first Antarctic expedition in 1984, generation after generation of Chinese expedition members have traveled to the farthest south for nearly 40 years, carrying out difficult and significant scientific research on the last pure land on Earth. We hope that this scientific expedition will help Chinese scientists make new breakthroughs and make new contributions to understanding, protecting and utilizing Antarctica.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing News, etc.