Two groups of scientists on China's 26th Antarctic expedition team returned to their base camp?at Zhongshan Station?on Wednesday after about two months of inland field trips.

Both squads set out on Dec. 18 to explore the area around Kunlun Station, China's first research base in inland Antarctica, and the inland's Grove Mountain, respectively.

On Jan. 6, 20 members on the Kunlun Station mission reached the peak of the continent's inland ice cap, the 4,093-meter-high Dome A.

It was the second time that Chinese explorers had climbed to the top of the ice-covered continent since the opening of Kunlun Station in the Dome A area in January 2009.

At the station, experts carried out research in glaciology, astronomy, mapology and geophysics.

Comprehensive research, including geologic and subglacial structures, was also conducted by the squad at Grove Mountain, where scientists collected 1,618 pieces of meteorolite, taking China's possession of Antarctic meteorolite to more than 10,000 pieces.

It was the second time China has conducted simultaneous explorations of inland Antarctica. The previous time was the country's 15th expedition in 1999.