China’s 16th Arctic expedition has entered a new phase, with the icebreaker Xuelong 2 beginning its first ice-station survey in the central Arctic Ocean near 84 degrees north latitude on Sunday.

The vessel will conduct more than 20 research tasks at seven ice stations, including collecting ice cores, deploying ice-based drifting buoys and carrying out remote sensing observations of sea ice. The work will gather data on the Arctic atmosphere, sea ice, upper ocean and under-ice ecosystems, supporting research into the region’s rapid environmental changes.

Earlier, Xuelong completed all 12 of its planned ice-station tasks and helped deploy more than 30 buoys across the survey area. Researchers also established an unattended observation network and tested advanced domestically developed marine instruments.

The expedition began on July 3, with Xuelong, Xuelong 2 and Jidi departing Dalian. Organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the mission involves four research vessels and is expected to conclude in early October.