Expedition spots potential site for Antarctic airfield

A large sheet of blue ice was spotted recently by China's Antarctic expedition team on the continent, opening the possibility of building an airfield.

The area is 10 kilometers southwest of the expedition base camp near Zhongshan Station, the country's scientific research station on the shore of Prydz Bay in East Antarctica, not far from the Russian Progress II Station.

Blue ice is some of the oldest and densest ice in Antarctica. Thanks to its hard surface, it's suitable for building runways where aircraft with wheels, rather than skis, can land.