On July 12, the China’s 13th Arctic Scientific Expedition team, organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, departed from Shanghai on the “XUE LONG 2” to carry out a scientific expedition missionin the Arctic Ocean. Five scientists, including Shen Zhongyan, Ji Zhongqiang, Liu Yanan, Chen Ling and Tong Zhengyi, from the Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences, MNR andtheKey Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, MNR, participated in the expedition.

The expedition will focus on two major regions of Pacific-Arctic Sector and GakkelMid-Ocean Ridge, andthe team willcarry out four major tasks: long-term observation and monitoring of key environmental elements, geological and geophysical surveys of the mid-ocean ridge, national science and technology programs and international cooperation, so as to effectively improve China’s capabilities in environmental protection of the Arctic Ocean, rapid response to changes in the Arctic,marine pollution assessment, etc.Scientists from the SIO are fully involved in two major regions and four tasks, and are responsible for geological and geophysical surveys of GakkelMid-Ocean Ridge, obtaining key information and data required for research on the dynamics of mid-ocean ridge, etc.

The Arctic region is one of the most fragile and important ecosystems onthe earth, and also has the Gakkel Mid-Ocean Ridge with the slowest rate of expansion in the world. This voyage provides a solid foundation for furtherfullunderstandingofthe current status and changing trends of the Arctic ecosystem in the context of global warming, and revealing the unique deep structure and magmatic processes of the ultra-slow expanding Gakkel Mid-Ocean Ridge. This time, three Russian scientists boarded the ship and jointly carried out the expedition mission withthe team members of the SIO, which will effectively promotetheinternational cooperation in Arctic scientific expedition.

The total voyage of this expedition is expected to be about 15,500 nautical miles, andtheexpedition teamwill return to Shanghai in late September.