The Wuhan University in central China’s Hubei Province has recently finished the mapping work for another scientific exploration station in the Antarctic, and preparation work for setting up the science station in the Antarctic will kick off soon. When finished, this will be China’s third scientific exploration station in the Antarctic after the Great Wall and Zhongshan stations.

Wuhan University revealed on Monday that staff members responsible for the mapping work in the Antarctic had recently finished drawing the map for the new station. The mapping includes the geological status of the Grove Mountain, a map of the core area of the highest ice cap zones in the Antarctic that covers an area of 70 square kilometers drawn with a scale of 1:25,000; and a detailed route from the Zhongshan station to the highest ice cap zone.

The new station will be built at the highest ice cap zone, which is called “an inaccessible area” due to the bad weather there. So far, only a few countries have set up their scientific exploration stations there. The new station signifies that China’s scientific exploration in the Antarctic has entered a new stage. Material supplying center will be built near the Grove Mountain.

Head of the Antarctic Scientific Exploration Office under the State Oceanic Administration Qu Tanzhou said China’s decision to build the station was originally set to help scientists to spend summer there, and gradually change it into a station that can work all year round in the long run. The new station shows that China’s exploration in the Antarctic has moved a step forward from rim zones into the hinterland.

(Chinanews.cn April 12, 2006)