China’s Xuelong Completes Record 12 Arctic Ice Stations
China’s polar research vessel Xuelong has completed operations at 12 ice stations during the 16th Chinese Arctic Expedition, setting a new record for a single expedition and marking a significant milestone in the country’s polar scientific research capabilities. The final ice station operation was completed on August 7 at approximately 83°50′N in the central Arctic Ocean, according to Xinhua News.
A Record Achievement
Deputy expedition leader and chief scientist He Jianfeng confirmed on August 11 that the number of ice station operations set a new historical record for the Xuelong. Through careful planning, the team successfully completed all ice-surface scientific research material transport tasks and deployed over 30 sets of various ice-based buoys, as reported by the Science and Technology Daily.
All 12 ice stations were short-term stations, lasting several hours each, according to Qu Meng, the Xuelong’s sea ice team leader. The stations were positioned at generally higher latitudes than previous Xuelong expeditions, all located north of 82°N. Qu explained that because ice conditions in the lower-latitude Chukchi Plateau oceanic work area were too heavy for oceanic operations, the expedition team adjusted the high-latitude ice station operations to begin earlier, starting in late July.
Expedition Journey
The 16th Chinese Arctic Expedition departed from Dalian on July 3, with the Xuelong, Xuelong 2, and Jidi vessels setting sail for the Arctic. The Xuelong passed through the Bering Strait and entered the Arctic Circle on July 15, as documented by Beijing Time. Before entering the Arctic Circle, the vessel deployed XCTD (expendable conductivity-temperature-depth) instruments and Argo profiling floats in the international waters of the Northwest Pacific starting July 7.
This is the Xuelong’s 10th Arctic expedition and its first return to the Arctic in six years. The expedition is the first Arctic mission of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) and is being conducted by four vessels: Xuelong, Xuelong 2, Jidi, and Exploration 3, organized by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
Coordinated Ice Station Surveys
The Xuelong 2 began its first ice station survey on August 9 at approximately 84°N, marking the start of about half a month of comprehensive ice station surveys, according to Xinhua News. Lin Long, the Xuelong 2’s sea ice team leader, noted that the ice station survey stations planned by Xuelong 2 will coordinate with Xuelong’s positions to build an observation array, enabling deeper investigation of the interactions between atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean in the central Arctic Ocean under rapid Arctic change, and their coupling effects with the ecosystem.
Chief scientist assistant Lan Musheng explained that during operations, expedition members will comprehensively observe parameters of dynamic changes in the atmosphere, sea ice, upper ocean, and sub-ice ecological processes during sea ice melting, to obtain scientific data for studying rapid Arctic sea ice change, its mechanisms, and ecosystem evolution.
Why Ice Stations Matter
Arctic sea ice plays a critical role in climate regulation and is a key research focus. Ice station operations serve two main purposes: detailed observation and sampling of sea ice and the air-ice-sea interface, and using sea ice as a platform to deploy unattended long-term observation equipment for continuous data collection.
Since ship-based surveys are limited to summer months, deploying unattended equipment on floating ice helps fill gaps in year-round data collection. Zhou Hongtao, who conducted multiple ice reconnaissance missions, explained that the team must find relatively flat sea ice of sufficient thickness for setting up tripods and instrument deployment, while avoiding areas with excessive melt ponds and ice cracks to maximize equipment storage time.
Safety Considerations
Ice station operations face hazards including low temperatures and complex ice surface terrain. However, the biggest safety risk is polar bears. The expedition has developed specialized bear prevention and emergency response plans, equipped with various bear deterrent and emergency supplies to ensure crew safety.
Looking Ahead
The overall expedition is expected to complete its tasks by early October 2026. As the Xuelong 2 continues its ice station surveys and the four-vessel fleet advances its comprehensive research program, the data collected will contribute to international understanding of rapid Arctic change and its global implications. China has been conducting Arctic expeditions since 1999, and the recent focus has shifted toward the central Arctic Ocean, including the Chukchi Plateau, Canada Basin, and Gakkel Ridge, as noted in the Guangming Daily coverage of polar research efforts.