February 16, 2012 — (Reuters) Antarctica-Sea Ice -- Sea Ice blocks transport ways from Changcheng Station to Zhongshan Station
China's Antarctic ice breaker the Snow Dragon (Xuelong) has successfully reached an island near the Zhongshan Station in Antarctica to unload its cargo after having a difficult time passing through sea lanes blocked by ice.
The winter preparation is crucial for China's 28th Antarctic scientific expedition because if the team fails to deliver goods to the Zhongshan Station, staffers there will be confronted with a shortage in materials, thus preventing them from completing the winter expedition.
February marks the end of summer in the South Pole and the sunshine has melted the sea ice into ice fragments, blocking the way for the Snow Dragon to gain access to the port to unload its cargo. Usually the Snow Dragon will be dragged by boats to the port, but the situation this year is very serious.
"Massive sea ice has gathered in the gulf in front of the Zhongshan Station. Large icebergs and ice fragments are there, blocking up the ways for boats," said Li Yuansheng, the head of China's 28th Antarctic scientific expedition team.
The expedition team dispatched a helicopter in hopes to find some areas with fewer icebergs, planning to break the ice by boats there in order to form a water channel for the Snow Dragon to reach the Zhongshan Station.
However, after the efforts made on February 10, the expedition team decided to return since they failed to find a way among the dense ice fragments, otherwise they could be stuck.
The team finally arrived at an island near the port of the Zhongshan Station the next day, and prepared to unload the fuel oil and transfer it to the station through a pipeline.
The first-stage unloading mission of China's 28th Antarctic expedition was completed in the first ten days of December 2011. It supplied the Zhongshan Station on Antarctica with logistic materials, equipment for scientific research and building materials, and also provided the Kunlun Station with all the materials it needed.
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