China to sail to Dome A
Oct 6, 2004 20: 07 EST
Published Sep 23, 2004 14: 00 EST
A 150-day journey will start in Shanghai, China's largest port, on October 25. The first stop is the Zhongshan Station on the Antarctic coast via the Indian Ocean.
The major goal is to climb the highest icecap of the South Pole in preparation to build a permanent research station in inland Antarctica.
The scientists will take samples and plant a temporary weather station there. A team of 10 Chinese scientists and two journalists will make a trip of 1,300 kilometers inland from Zhongshan Station on the southeast coast of the Antarctica to Dome A, the continent's highest icecap, 4,300 meters above sea level.
Xuelong, a polar science research ice-breaking ship capable of piloting into the polar sea will carry the 135 expedition members. If the expedition is successful, China will be the first country to enter the area by land, reports China Daily.
"The trip is an especially challenging one. The weather of the area is so harsh and unpredictable that we have requested other countries' stations to help in case of emergency," said the expedition leader.
He also adds that he hopes that "all Chinese people, especially Chinese businesses, can give more financial support to China's cause of Arctic and Antarctic expedition."
So far, China has conducted four expeditions to the inland icecaps of the Antarctica with the third one in 1999 covering 1176 kilometers and getting close to Dome A.
In 1984 China built its first research station, Great Wall Station on the King George Island. The second station, Zhongshan Station, was established in 1989 on the southeast coast of the Antarctic's Mirror Peninsula. None of them are in the inland Antarctic.
Image of Robert McClure 1850 northern polar sail on the "Investigator" courtesy Arved-Fuchs.de
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