Chinese scientists left Shanghai Thursday aboard the scientific
ship Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, for a second expedition to the Arctic
region where they will conduct research and prepare for the setup
of China's first Arctic station next September.
Setting off from east China's Shanghai, the team will make a short
stop at the northeastern Chinese port city Dalian, before they
finish 14,000-sea-mile voyage to arrive in the Arctic.
According to scientists, the objective of this trip is to probe
reactions of the Arctic region to global climatic changes and its
impact in return on those changes, and to analyze Arctic influences
on weather in the Chinese territory.
China expects to establish its first state-level research
laboratory in the Arctic region on the Svalbard Islands, and its
second scientific adventure will contribute to setting up an
essentially full-service monitoring system in that region.
This mission will be highly dependent on the use of high
technology, according to scientists. The area put under monitoring
will be extended to a larger scope with the support from the
ship-carried helicopter and boats.
The overall inspection combining surveys of air, land and water
will be made in the Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea and the Canadian
Basin.
According to the scientists, they will set up a temporary
monitoring station on floating ice in the Arctic Ocean, working on
deploying satellite-tracked buoys both on the sea surface and
submerged in the water.
A
helicopter will be used, coordinated by satellite-aided remote
sensing imaging, to complete a comprehensive field research of the
physical, chemical, biological, geological features of the ocean,
as well as research of the atmosphere and weather.
The Arctic is a vital part of the global climatic system, and
changes there lead to changes in atmospheric and oceanic
circumfluence. Further research in recent years has proven that
global warming has caused shrinking icecaps in the region.
Scientists anticipated that glaciers in the Arctic will retreat at
an even larger scale in the 21st century and ice in the surrounding
sea will reduce further, causing disastrous effects on the rising
sea level. The resulting interactions will result in fundamental
changes in the Arctic environment and also have a dramatic impact
on living conditions of the countries in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Chinese scientists initiated their first Arctic exploring efforts
in 1999. They will be joined this time by 16 experts from countries
including Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the
United States.
The scientists are expected to return to Shanghai on Sept. 26 after
they fully wrap up their missions.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2003)