On July 12, a Chinese scientific expedition set off from Shanghai for the Arctic Ocean aboard the Xue Long 2 icebreaker. The 13th expedition is expected to cover about 15,500 nautical miles and return at the end of September.

The research will focus on two main regions of the Pacific sector of the central part of the Arctic Ocean and the mid-ocean ridge, and address four main tasks: long-term observation and monitoring of key environmental elements; geological and geophysical studies of the mid-ocean ridge and national projects for science and technology planning and international cooperation; atmospheric, sea ice, marine and subsurface environmental surveys, biome and resource research, and pollutant monitoring; and integrated research into sea ice in ice packice.

According to reports, this expedition will enhance China’s ability to protect the environment of the Arctic Ocean, which is sensitive to changes in the Arctic, provide an assessment of marine pollution, and help obtain key information necessary for relevant studies of mid-ocean ridge dynamics.