Xuelong 2 begins first ice station survey in Arctic Ocean

China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 began its first ice station survey near 84 degrees north latitude in the central Arctic Ocean on Sunday, marking the start of about two weeks of comprehensive ice station surveys during the country's 16th Arctic expedition, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Researchers set sail from Dalian, Liaoning province, on July 3, with four vessels — Xuelong, Xuelong 2, Jidi and Tansuo 3 — for an expedition organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

After completing the first phase of ocean station surveys on Friday, the Xuelong 2 sailed toward higher latitudes. On Sunday, it selected a large, flat ice floe about 1.5 meters thick in a densely packed ice area for its first ice station survey.

Before operations began, two experienced team members stepped onto the ice to drill holes and measure its thickness, identify potential hazards and determine the working area and zones. Scientific equipment was then transported to designated areas to support parallel operations for multiple research projects.

Lin Long, leader of the Xuelong 2 sea ice team, said the ice station survey includes six short-term stations and one long-term station. The team will conduct more than 20 research projects, including deploying disposable ice-based buoys, collecting ice core samples and carrying out sea ice remote sensing observations.

Xuelong and Xuelong 2 will jointly conduct ice station surveys. As of Friday, the Xuelong had completed surveys at 12 ice stations.

The ice station sites surveyed by Xuelong 2 will be coordinated with those of Xuelong to form an observation array, providing deeper insights into interactions among the atmosphere, sea ice and ocean in the central Arctic Ocean amid rapid Arctic change, as well as their coupling effects on the ecosystem, Lin said.

Lan Musheng, an assistant to the expedition's chief scientist, said researchers will comprehensively monitor dynamic changes in the atmosphere, sea ice, upper ocean and sub-ice ecological processes during sea ice melt.

The observations will provide scientific data crucial for studying rapid changes in Arctic sea ice, their underlying mechanisms and ecosystem evolution, Lan said.

To address the risks posed by polar bears during ice station operations, the expedition team has developed bear-deterrence and emergency response plans to ensure personnel safety.

Focused on global climate change and its impacts, the expedition aims to provide scientific support for China's participation in Arctic governance through multidisciplinary comprehensive surveys and international frontier research. The mission is expected to be completed in early October.