This time, it’s not just about going to the North Pole! Chinese scientists realize their dream of reaching the North Pole!

If someone has visited the North Pole and checked in, I would definitely be envious. Indeed, in our impression, the word "North Pole" always gives people a feeling of being out of reach. However, in a recent scientific expedition, Chinese scientists not only went to the North Pole, but also "went deep" into the North Pole - reaching the North Pole!

At 13:55 Beijing time on September 5, 2023, China's 13th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition arrived at the 90 degrees north latitude and the North Pole area on the Xuelong 2 polar research icebreaker, marking the first time that a Chinese ship has successfully arrived at the North Pole.

China's icebreaker expeditions to the Arctic

Image source: China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University

China has become the eighth country in the world and the first country in Asia to reach the North Pole by driving an icebreaker, which has set a new milestone in China 's polar scientific research field .

China's self-built "Xuelong 2" icebreaker

(Photo source: China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University)

1. What is the difference between reaching the North Pole and reaching the North Pole?

There is a significant difference between reaching the North Pole and reaching the North Pole.

The North Pole is one of the three poles of the Earth. It is a silver world covered with ice and snow. Entering the Arctic Circle is called reaching the North Pole.

The North Pole is located at 90 degrees north latitude, on the Arctic Ocean, and is the center of the icy world of the Arctic.

Standing at the North Pole, you will find yourself at the top of the earth, with south all around. You can easily cross the 360-degree longitude by rotating once.

At the North Pole, polar night and polar day alternate once a year, making people feel as if they are on another planet - the cold rules everything mercilessly, and ice and snow spread to the end of the vision.

2. How do polar research icebreakers “break ice”?

Depending on the thickness of sea ice, the icebreaking methods of icebreakers can generally be divided into the following situations.

▲ Continuous icebreaking : When the thickness of sea ice is within the icebreaking capacity range designed for the icebreaker, the ship sails in the ice area at a speed of less than 5 knots. The kinetic energy generated is sufficient to break the ice surface and ensure the smooth and continuous progress of the ship. This icebreaking method is called continuous icebreaking.

When the thickness of sea ice exceeds the continuous icebreaking capability of the icebreaker, the icebreaking methods of the icebreaker can be divided into two types: rotary icebreaking and impact icebreaking.

▲Spinning icebreaking method : When the icebreaker starts to break ice, the ship enters the ice area at a certain angle. When 1/4 of the ship enters the ice area, it starts to turn with the rudder, and adjusts the rudder angle according to the ice conditions to control the distance the ship enters the ice area. After each turn, the bow direction and the angle of the ice edge are appropriately adjusted to ensure that the ship moves in a spiral shape during the entire icebreaking process. The advantage of this icebreaking method is that the ship enters the ice area at a certain angle, which causes less damage to the hull structure. The turning method is not easy to be stuck by floating ice when entering and exiting the ice area, and it can maintain a certain speed for continuous icebreaking. However, the disadvantage is that the effective forward distance is short and the open water area required for the operation is large.

▲Impact icebreaking : The icebreaker impacts and "rides" on the ice surface at a certain speed, crushing the sea ice under the ship with its own gravity and kinetic energy, and then rides on the sea ice to break the ice, breaking the ice slowly in an undulating manner. When the resistance of the sea ice to the ship is greater than the forward kinetic energy again, it slows down until it stops and starts to reverse. After retreating to a certain distance, it accelerates forward and starts the second impact. During the impact icebreaking process, the ship may be stuck due to the squeezing of floating ice on both sides, so it is necessary to widen the waterway during the icebreaking process. This icebreaking mode is also called "icebreaking on foot."

3. The massive melting of Arctic sea ice, what impact does it have on icebreakers’ “icebreaking”?

In the past, the thickness of sea ice in the central area of ​​the Arctic Ocean could reach 3 to 4 meters, and only nuclear-powered icebreakers had such a strong icebreaking capability. The massive melting of Arctic sea ice has led to a thinning of sea ice and a reduction in sea ice coverage in the polar region, making icebreaking and navigation easier.

The " Double Dragon Exploration" space-time information platform independently developed by the China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center of Wuhan University shows that the melting of Arctic sea ice this year is very severe , and the thickness of sea ice at the North Pole is less than one meter. The icebreaking capability of the "Xuelong 2" is about 1.5 meters thick, which enables the "Xuelong 2" to impact the North Pole.

Of course, the melting of sea ice will also have an impact on the Arctic ecosystem. It may change the habitat and migration patterns of marine life. The melting of sea ice will cause more carbon dioxide to dissolve in the seawater, causing seawater acidification, which is not suitable for the survival of certain marine life. It may cause the migration or extinction of some species, or cause some marine ecological and environmental safety problems.

4. After completing the scientific expedition, will the icebreaker return along the same route? If it continues heading north, will it return to the starting point?

After completing a designated scientific research mission, the icebreaker usually does not return by the same route, but chooses an appropriate route based on the nature of the mission and the scientific research plan.

If it continues to head north , the icebreaker will eventually stop at the North Pole and will not be able to return to the starting point .

Some people may wonder, hey, wouldn’t the researchers on board be lonely when the icebreaker is sailing alone on the vast icy sea? In fact, during polar expeditions, icebreakers from different countries occasionally meet in the icy sea.

For example, on August 20, 2023, the Xuelong 2 passed the Polaris while carrying out its survey plan in the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. On September 6, the Xuelong 2 withdrew from the North Pole and headed south along 100 degrees east longitude, with the Polaris within 20 nautical miles of the closest ship. After the Xuelong 2 withdrew from the North Pole, the German Polaris also rushed to the North Pole on September 7. During the Xuelong 2's Arctic expedition, icebreakers from South Korea, the United States, Russia, Canada and other countries also conducted marine surveys in the Arctic Ocean.

Because the suitable operating period in the polar regions is limited, icebreakers from various countries often carry out scientific research activities in the same time window, so it is not surprising that expedition teams from various countries "encounter" each other in the South and North Poles.

In fact, the areas of the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica both reach tens of millions of square kilometers. Even if icebreakers from all over the world enter the polar regions at the same time, there will be no situation where they meet on a narrow road and have no way to go.

At 5:33 a.m. on September 14, 2023, Beijing time, the Xuelong 2 polar research icebreaker sailed south out of the Arctic Circle and left the Arctic region. Finally, the Xuelong 2 returned to the domestic base terminal in Shanghai on September 27, ending the entire itinerary of this voyage. (Photo source: China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University)

5. Arctic scientific research: difficult because of the cold, but also fascinating because of the cold

The North Pole and the North Pole are extremely cold, but their attraction cannot be blocked by the cold. Countless explorers and scientists have headed north, challenging the extreme cold and loneliness in order to unravel the mysteries of nature and pursue the dream of conquering the limits of human beings.

In the summer of 1951, Professor Gao Shiliu of Wuhan University (formerly Wuhan Institute of Surveying and Mapping) arrived at the Earth's magnetic North Pole to engage in geomagnetic measurements, becoming the first Chinese scientific and technological worker to enter the Arctic region.

In 1999, the Chinese government organized the first large-scale comprehensive scientific expedition to the Arctic. The polar research vessel Xuelong carried 124 members on its first voyage to the Arctic, which lasted 71 days and covered more than 14,000 nautical miles, conducting a comprehensive research and investigation of the Arctic Ocean.

However, because the Xuelong's main mission is to conduct comprehensive surveys of oceanography, meteorology, biology, geology, etc. in the Arctic, and its icebreaking capability is limited, it has never been able to reach the North Pole despite several attempts to reach higher latitudes. However, it did reach 88 degrees 25 minutes north latitude during China's fourth Arctic expedition.

Against the backdrop of global warming, Arctic sea ice has become thinner. With the enhancement of my country's comprehensive strength, my country has independently built the "Xuelong 2" polar research icebreaker with stronger icebreaking capabilities. Against this backdrop, China's polar research has finally conquered the sacred place of the geographic North Pole!

author

Ai Songtao, Professor of China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University

Chu Xinde PhD student, China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University

Ling Jiajun, Master Student, China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University

Reviewer : Zhang Xiaohong, Professor of China Antarctic Surveying and Mapping Research Center, Wuhan University

Planning: Zhai Guoqing

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Produced by: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., China Science and Technology Publishing House (Beijing) Digital Media Co., Ltd.