China's 42nd Antarctic expedition begins

SHANGHAI, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team set sail from Shanghai on Saturday.

"During this expedition, China plans, for the first time, to conduct scientific drilling experiments in lakes deep in the Antarctic inland ice sheet," said Wei Fuhai, leader and chief scientist of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team. "Using domestically built hot-water and thermal-melting drill systems, we will carry out clean drilling and sampling through ice more than 3,000 meters thick."

Antarctic subglacial lakes are characterized by extreme conditions, including high pressure, low temperature, darkness, and oligotrophy, hosting a unique ecosystem and preserve rich archives of ice-sheet history and climate change. Investigating these lakes is therefore essential for understanding sedimentary processes and the evolution of life.

To further advance understanding of Antarctica's role in global climate change, this expedition team will collect long-term observational records in key regions such as the Amundsen Sea and Ross Sea.

"Continuously enhancing our ability to understand, protect, and utilize Antarctica is not only an inevitable requirement for China to build itself into a strong maritime nation, but also a way to make new contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity," said Long Wei, deputy director of the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration.