Twenty four years of Chinese Arctic scientific research: heading north and exploring the polar regions

During the operation on the Arctic Gak Ridge, the expedition team is using a decoupling device to retrieve underwater seismometers. Image provided by China Polar Research CenterDuring the operation of the Arctic ice station, the expedition team is preparing for the deployment of ice based ocean profile buoys

During the operation on the Arctic Gak Ridge, the expedition team is using a decoupling device to retrieve underwater seismometers. Image provided by China Polar Research Center

During the operation of the Arctic ice station, the expedition team is preparing for the deployment of ice based ocean profile buoys. Image provided by China Polar Research Center

On September 27th, the "Xuelong 2" polar exploration icebreaker, which successfully completed various exploration tasks in the Arctic Ocean, slowly docked at the Chinese polar exploration domestic base dock located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, marking the successful conclusion of China's 13th Arctic scientific exploration. In 1999, China carried out its first large-scale Arctic scientific exploration mission relying on the "Snow Dragon" spacecraft. Over the past 24 years, it has successively conducted 13 Arctic scientific expeditions and 19 annual Arctic Yellow River Station expeditions. Significant achievements have been made in comprehensive investigation and research, observation platform construction, and international scientific and technological cooperation, further enhancing China's level of Arctic scientific research and innovation capabilities, as well as its influence in international Arctic affairs.

The Arctic has important scientific research value

The Arctic has important scientific research value

Arctic scientific expeditions can provide a profound understanding of global climate change. The Arctic is one of the cold sources of the Earth, and if there is a problem with the cold source, it will affect the global weather and climate system. The Arctic region is also a sensitive area to global climate change, with a warming rate more than twice that of other regions on Earth. The warming of the Arctic will cause a decrease in sea ice area, causing the Arctic Ocean to absorb more heat, further exacerbating sea ice melting, and thus producing a "amplification" effect of warming. Through Arctic scientific research, first-hand observational data on Arctic climate change can be obtained, enabling more accurate prediction of Arctic climate change trends and their impact on China's climate environment.

Arctic scientific exploration can promote the utilization of the Arctic in China. The Arctic Passage refers to a sea passage that crosses the Arctic Ocean and connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It can greatly shorten the shipping distance from China to Europe and reduce shipping costs, but navigation is constrained by sea ice environment and other factors. Through Arctic scientific research, first-hand information on key factors such as channel meteorology, ocean currents, and sea ice can be obtained, providing forecasting services for the utilization of Arctic channels in China. Through investigation, it is also possible to obtain information such as extreme microorganisms used for the extraction of special active substances. Low temperature active enzymes can be used in laundry products, allowing them to achieve the same decontamination effect in winter without using hot water as in summer.

Arctic scientific expeditions can better predict changes in the ecological environment. Global warming will have a profound impact on the global ecological environment, such as coral reef bleaching, extinction of some species, and invasion of new species. The Arctic region has also experienced significant changes such as accelerated "greening" of mainland areas and northward migration of sub Arctic species. Through on-site scientific investigations, it is possible to systematically grasp the characteristics of the Arctic ecosystem and predict potential changes, providing scientific basis for the protection of key species such as polar bears. At the same time, as Arctic warming is more than twice the global average, conducting Arctic scientific research can also provide reference for the future trends of ecosystem changes in other regions of the world under the background of global warming.

The Arctic scientific expedition helps to improve the research and development level of special equipment in China. The Arctic exploration requires the use of large scientific research icebreakers and special equipment that can be used in extreme environments. Through on-site investigation of sea ice types, thickness, and strength, scientific basis can be provided for the setting of ice breaking parameters for icebreakers. Through on-site testing and application of research and development equipment such as ice based buoys and underwater submersibles, not only has China improved its ability to independently develop extreme equipment, but also provides new means for unmanned observation of China's Arctic scientific exploration. Arctic scientific expeditions can also promote international Arctic cooperation, help build an Arctic scientific research network, deepen international understanding of the Arctic, and promote the development of global science and technology.

Overall, Arctic scientific expeditions not only help us better understand the trends and patterns of global climate change, protect the Arctic ecological environment, but also promote the development of scientific research and international cooperation, making contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

China's Arctic scientific research has achieved fruitful results

So far, China has organized a total of 13 Arctic Ocean expeditions and 19 annual Arctic Yellow River Station expeditions. In 2010, some members of China's 4th Arctic expedition arrived at the North Pole by helicopter for the expedition. In 2012, China conducted its 5th Arctic expedition, the "Snow Dragon", to test the Northeast Passage. In 2017, China conducted its 8th Arctic expedition, which included the circum Arctic Ocean expedition. The "Snow Dragon" crossed the Central Passage and tested the Northwest Passage. In 2023, China conducted its 13th Arctic expedition, The "Snow Dragon 2" spacecraft arrived at the North Pole to conduct scientific research and achieved a series of scientific research results in the fields of Arctic atmosphere, sea ice, oceans, glaciers, biology, geology, geophysics, space physics, and so on.

The understanding of climate change is constantly deepening. China has independently developed a series of ice based automated observation equipment, including sea ice drift meteorological stations, sea ice mass balance buoys, and unmanned ice station observation systems. It has conducted long-term and continuous unmanned observation in the central region of the Arctic Ocean and participated as a major participating country in the largest international cooperation project in the central region of the Arctic Ocean to date - the "Arctic Climate Multidisciplinary Drifting Ice Station Observation Program" for on-site observation, The mechanism of changes in Arctic sea ice has been revealed from different spatiotemporal scales. The study also revealed that in the past 30 years, there has been a significant "Atlantic ization" phenomenon in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean near the Eurasian continent, and the reduction of sea ice in these areas will bring wet and cold weather to the Northeast region of China.

Promoted the substantive utilization of the Arctic navigation channel. China's 5th and 8th Arctic Scientific Expedition relied on the "Xuelong" vessel to test all three Arctic waterways - the Northeast Passage, Northwest Passage, and Central Passage - and obtained first-hand on-site weather, sea ice, and ocean data, laying the foundation for commercial utilization of the waterways. As a result, the "Xuelong" vessel became the only vessel in China to test all three Arctic waterways. After the trial voyage of the "Snow Dragon" on the Northeast Passage, in 2013, China COSCO Shipping Special Transportation Co., Ltd.'s merchant ships achieved their first voyage on the Northeast Passage. Through on-site investigation and model validation, China has independently developed and operationalized models for predicting Arctic channel meteorology and sea ice. As of 2022, meteorological and sea ice forecasting services have been provided for 56 commercial voyages in Northeast China.

Significant breakthroughs have been made in ecological environment research. With the increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration leads to the ocean absorbing more carbon dioxide, which to some extent slows down the greenhouse effect. But an increase in dissolved carbon dioxide in seawater can lead to seawater becoming "acidic", known as "ocean acidification". Ocean acidification can affect many marine organisms, especially shellfish, causing their shells to become thinner and more brittle, affecting their survival. Chinese scientists have used the navigation observation data of ships such as the "Snow Dragon" to discover that due to the warming of the Arctic, sea ice has retreated, and the Arctic Ocean is more likely to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. Its acidification rate is much higher than other oceans, ranking first in the world. Through the Arctic Ocean voyage inspection, China has basically mastered the ecological environment characteristics and change trends of the Arctic Ocean, especially the Pacific sector.

The scale of space environment observation is formed. The two poles are the windows through which high-energy charged particles from the sun enter the Earth's atmosphere. The most intuitive manifestation is the colorful aurora appearing in the night sky at high latitudes, which is the luminescence phenomenon caused by the collision of high-energy particles from the sun with atoms in the upper atmosphere. Solar high-energy particles not only affect ground radio communication, but also affect the Earth's magnetic field, causing the magnetic needle to be unable to accurately point. China has established the first multi band synchronous observation system for aurora at the Yellow River Station in the Arctic, achieving the observation of aurora from the visible and radio frequency bands. The study discovered four different forms of solar aurora (aurora in high latitude areas), and systematically grasped their spectral, morphological, and motion characteristics, revealing the north-south asymmetry and morning dusk asymmetry of solar aurora.

International cooperation is constantly deepening. In 1996, China became a member of the International Arctic Science Commission; On July 28, 2004, the Chinese Arctic Yellow River Station located in the Svalbard Islands was officially opened; In 2005, China successfully hosted the Arctic Science Summit Week, setting a precedent for Asian countries to host it; In 2013, China became an official observer state of the Arctic Council; On October 18, 2018, the China Ice Arctic Scientific Expedition Station jointly built by China and Iceland was officially put into operation. China has taken the lead in implementing international cooperation plans such as the "International Joint Exploration of the Mid Arctic Ridge", and has collaborated with Russia to conduct a joint survey of the East Siberian Sea. It has also conducted international cooperative investigations and scientific research with countries such as the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, and others.

China's 13th Arctic Ocean Expedition Returns with Honor

The 13th Arctic Ocean Expedition of China consists of 99 expedition members (including 5 foreign members) from 29 units including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Ministry of Education. The "Snow Dragon 2" will depart from Shanghai on July 12, 2023. The main route is Shanghai Chukchi Sea Operation Area - Jiake Ocean Mid Ridge Operation Area - North Pole Area - Jiake Ocean Mid Ridge Operation Area - Chukchi Sea Operation Area - Shanghai, with a total voyage of more than 15000 nautical miles and a duration of 79 days, Returned to Shanghai on September 27, 2023.

The inspection team conducted 49 days of long-term operational geochemical monitoring, geological and geophysical surveys, national five major science and technology plan projects, and international cooperation projects in the Pacific sector of the Central Arctic Ocean, the Mid Gak Ridge, and the Arctic region, successfully completing various scientific research tasks. This voyage marks the first time a Chinese scientific research vessel has arrived at the North Pole to conduct ice station surveys and comprehensive ocean surveys, filling the gap in survey data in the region; For the first time, a mid level fish survey was conducted, and samples of fish such as the Qiao Shi Zhen lantern fish were obtained; China and Thailand have launched their first cooperation in the Arctic Ocean to investigate and study the distribution and sources of emerging pollutants - microplastics (plastic particles with a diameter less than 5 millimeters) in the atmosphere, ocean, and sediment; China and Russia have conducted a comprehensive geophysical survey on the Gak Ridge, conducting collaborative research on deep crustal structure, magmatism, and geodynamics.

This investigation applied many new technical equipment, greatly improving observation efficiency, such as the deployment of one independently developed sea ice internal stress buoy and one sea ice optical profile buoy in the Arctic Ocean for the first time, providing observation support for the optimization and development of sea ice models; For the first time, deep learning methods have been applied to achieve unmanned intelligent observation of sea ice thickness, and multi band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been used for sea ice navigation and airborne observation, providing a new observation method for on-site investigation of Arctic sea ice; The first application of a submarine lander to obtain long-term continuous high-resolution underwater ecological environment information provides scientific data support for the response of the Arctic Ocean ecosystem in the context of rapid changes in the Arctic.

As an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs, China has always been an active participant, builder, and contributor in Arctic affairs, striving to contribute to improving the level of scientific research in the Arctic. Through years of Arctic exploration, I have gained a basic understanding of the characteristics and changing patterns of the Arctic environment. However, there is an accelerating trend in Arctic changes, and both the intensity and depth of our Arctic scientific research need to be strengthened. In the future, China will further strengthen Arctic scientific research, vigorously develop unmanned long-term observation equipment to obtain data, and work with relevant parties to actively respond to the challenges brought by Arctic changes, making positive contributions to improving Arctic awareness, promoting Arctic ecological environment protection, and sustainable development of the national economy.

(Author: He Jianfeng, a researcher at the China Polar Research Center)

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