China's research icebreaker Xuelong, or the Snow Dragon, arrived at the first station of its 42nd Antarctic expedition in Amundsen Sea on Saturday.
Within the planned 18-day stay in the South Pole, the vessel will complete operations at more than 20 stations.
At 01:00, the Xuelong reached its first oceanographic station in the Amundsen Sea. Crew members aboard immediately began deploying a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instrument into the sea to measure salinity and temperature at various depths of seawater.
The first station, with a depth exceeding 4,000 meters, represents the deepest area among all stations.
At an average deployment speed of 60 meters per minute, lowering the equipment from the sea surface to the seafloor alone requires more than an hour.
After all 24 water bottles on the CTD device completed sampling, it was hoisted back into the sampling room. Then, the research team sprang into action. Based on the corresponding depths of each bottle, they swiftly filled various containers with the required seawater samples and immediately transported them to the laboratory for pretreatment.
"We collect samples from every layer of the sea. pH value serves as a crucial indicator of seawater acidity, making it an essential parameter for studying ocean acidification," said Qin Jie, a member of the ocean team on board the Xuelong.
"My research focuses on greenhouse gas concentrations in seawater, requiring samples from all water layers," said Lan Kexin, another ocean team member on board the vessel.
"I study microplankton in the water, primarily their abundance and species composition, which also necessitates samples from all water layers," said Han Zheyi, an ocean team member.
After completing the water sampling operations, the team promptly proceeded without pause to conduct a series of additional tasks, including biological vertical trawling, krill trawling, midwater fish trawls, and gravity core deployments.
China's Xuelong icebreaker starts 42nd Antarctic expedition
China's Xuelong icebreaker starts 42nd Antarctic expedition
China on Thursday executed 11 members of the Ming family criminal group for large-scale cross-border telecom fraud and violent crimes targeting Chinese citizens.
The executions followed final approval by the Supreme People's Court, after appeals by the defendants were rejected and original death sentences upheld.
According to the court, the Ming family criminal group, led by Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, had since 2015 operated multiple crime compounds in Laukkai and surrounding areas of Myanmar's Kokang region, including Shiyuanzi and Qingshuihe. The group provided armed protection to telecom fraud syndicates and engaged in telecom fraud, illegal gambling and other criminal activities.
Authorities said the group recruited and sheltered multiple fraud ring leaders and facilitated large-scale telecom scams and gambling operations, with fraud- and gambling-related funds exceeding 10 billion yuan (about 1.44 billion U.S. dollars).
The Ming group also collaborated with other telecom fraud syndicates to carry out violent crimes, including intentional homicide, intentional injury and unlawful detention of fraud workers, resulting in the deaths of 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to several others.
The Supreme People's Court found that Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, Wu Senlong, Fu Yubin and others had organized, led or participated in criminal groups committing a wide range of offenses, including fraud, operating casinos, intentional killing, intentional injury and unlawful detention.
The court said the crimes were particularly severe in nature, with grave consequences, and that the original verdicts were based on clear facts, sufficient evidence and lawful judicial procedures. It therefore approved the death sentences.
Following receipt of the execution orders, the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in east China's Zhejiang Province carried out the executions in accordance with the law. The defendants' close relatives were allowed to meet with them prior to the executions.
Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts in recent years to dismantle telecom fraud networks operating in northern Myanmar, following a joint crackdown launched by China and Myanmar in 2023.
China executes 11 members of Myanmar-based telecom fraud crime group
