China's 43rd Antarctic expedition team set off for the polar region on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The ministry said in a news release that, carried by the Xuelong and Xuelong 2 research icebreakers as well as the oceanographic survey vessel Dayang, more than 600 researchers and engineers from over 100 domestic institutions are taking part in the mission. The team is expected to return to China in April after completing their tasks.
The ministry said that crew members will wrap up on-site construction and quality inspection for China's new Antarctic facility, the Qinling Station. They will conduct surveys and mapping work for support facilities for a planned research station in Marie Byrd Land, and will also carry out preliminary preparations for upgrading and renovating the Great Wall and Zhongshan stations.
Researchers will look into how climate change affects the Southern Ocean ecosystem, and will use anchored subsurface buoys, box corers, biological trawls and other tools to inspect physical oceanography, marine chemistry, marine biology, marine geology, atmospheric conditions and sea ice along their route.
The team will also conduct in-situ sampling through the ice sheet covering the Qilin subglacial lake, and investigate frontier topics such as linked polar geological hazards, interactions between hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, and mechanisms behind the cessation of plate subduction.
During the expedition, a range of domestically built hardware, including the AR500 large unmanned helicopter, the THT550 high-horsepower tracked tractor and the third-generation Snow Leopard wheeled vehicle, will be tested on the Antarctic ice sheet, according to the ministry.
It also noted that the Chinese expedition team will cooperate with their peers from Norway, Chile, Bulgaria and other countries on research into the Antarctic ice sheet, geology and cryospheric environments.
Editor：Zhou Jinmiao
