China and Russia jointly conducted on-site observations of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean for the first time

China and Russia conducted the first joint on-site observation of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean

For the first time, China and Russia jointly conducted on-site observations of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. The “Xuelong 2” ship, carrying China’s 16th Arctic expedition mission, is currently sailing in the Arctic Ocean. During this period, Chinese researchers worked together with two Russian scientists from the Russian Polar Research Institute to conduct sea ice observations. This marks the first time that China and Russia have collaborated on on-site sea ice observation. According to Lin Long, the captain of the “Xuelong 2” sea ice team, before entering the Arctic ice area, the leaders of the Chinese and Russian sea ice observation efforts discussed their respective standards and methods for observing sea ice. They confirmed that the main contents of the observations overlapped significantly and discussed any minor differences. The reduction of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is a significant change in the Earth’s system over the past 50 years and serves as an “indicator” of climate change. This joint sea ice observation by China and Russia involves artificial observations of sea ice during ship navigation. The main aspects of the observations include sea ice density, type, size, thickness, and snow cover thickness. These methods have advantages such as high spatial resolution, minimal impact from foggy weather, full coverage of navigation routes, and detailed thickness measurements, making them a useful complement to satellite remote sensing observations. The reporter observed on “Xuelong 2” that during the ship’s navigation through the ice area, Chinese researchers…