Henan Natural History Museum Welcomes New Collection

Henan Natural History Museum Welcomes New Collection

世界地球日，河南自然博物馆上新南极馆藏

April 22 marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day. Henan Natural History Museum welcomed a new collection on this day. A piece of basaltic lava collected by a Chinese Antarctic research expedition from the Southwest Pole of Antarctica formally settled in the Museum, filling a gap in its collections.

今年的4月22日是第52个“世界地球日”，在河南省自然博物馆内，地球日馆藏“上新”了。一块由我国科考队员不远万里采自南极洲西南极的玄武质熔岩标本，正式落户省自然博物馆，填补了该博物馆藏品空白。

A piece of basaltic lava collected by Henan Natural History Museum. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

According to Zheng Guanggao, a PhD at the Polar and Lunar Geology Department of Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, this piece of basaltic lava is of dense massive structure, consisting of 30-percent phenocrysts and 70-percent matrixes, which was discovered during an Antarctic research expedition in 2020.

据中国地质科学院地质力学研究所极地与月球地质研究室博士郑光高介绍，这块灰黑色、致密块状的玄武质熔岩标本，呈致密块状构造，成分由斑晶（约占30%）和基质（约占70%）组成，系2020年在南极洲科考时采集。

Zheng remarked that, "This basaltic lava was formed by a volcanic eruption about 100 million years ago and the Theory of Continental Drift has now been supported by more and more evidence. This basaltic lava has proved that Antarctica's Southwest Pole was once connected to Chile in South America."

“这块岩石标本大约是一亿年前火山喷发形成的，‘大陆漂移说’目前已经被越来越多的证据证实，这块岩石也从侧面证明了南极洲的西南极曾经是和南美洲的智利连接在一起的。”郑光高说。（中文来源/大河网 翻译/赵汉青 审校/陈行洁）