China’s icebreaker Xuelong acquires geologic data near Ross Sea

China’s research icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, wraps up its 34th investigation in Terra Nova Bay of the Ross Sea in Antarctica on Tuesday, acquiring information of seabed topography, and ocean gravity and magnetic data.

It was the icebreaker’s first-time full-scale investigation to obtain the data of terrain and topography of the Southern Ocean.

“Through the obtained information, we basically grasped the features of the terrain and topography near the Ross Sea, which laid the foundation for future construction of the new station’s marine laboratory and for an Antarctic Ocean seabed observation network,” Yang Huigen, head of the Polar Research Institute of China, who leads the expedition team told Xinhua News Agency.

“It also enhanced the China’s capability of stereoscopic observation in Antarctic Ocean.”

Photo taken on Dec. 7, 2017 shows a seal at Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay of the Ross Sea in Antarctica.

The investigation started on Nov. 8 last year in China’s fifth Antarctic research station located on Terra Nova Bay.

Xuelong utilized last year’s newly armed precision survey equipment for floating ice area, combing through the region to collect the data.

According to Captain Luo Guangfu, the total distance expedited was about 1,700 kilometers, covering over 3,000 square kilometers in area.

(CGTN)