China said its first atmospheric monitoring station in Antarctica started operations this week, a move aimed at helping observe changes on the southern continent and supporting the global response to climate change.
Polar Resources
Like the United States, China has been expanding its presence in Antarctica and in the Arctic to explore polar resources.
The station is the first of its kind established overseas by China and the ninth atmospheric background station to begin operations across the country. Its launch follows 16 years of scientific research and innovation, marking its integration into China’s atmospheric observation network, as stated by the China Meteorological Administration.
The Zhongshan National Atmospheric Background Station will conduct “continuous and long-term operational observations of concentration changes in Antarctic atmospheric components,” the official Xinhua news agency quoted China’s Meteorological Administration as saying.
The station is located in Larsmann Hills in East Antarctica.
Polar regions are “amplifiers” of global climate change, said Ding Minghu, director of the Institute of Global Change and Polar Meteorology at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences.
He said the station’s observation data would have “unique geographical advantages and scientific value” which would aid the study of the impact of human activities on the environment.
China in February opened its Ross Sea scientific research station in Antarctica. It also has five other research stations in Antarctica that were built between 1985 and 2014.
Background
The groundwork for atmospheric observation at Zhongshan Station was established between 2007 and 2008 during the fourth International Polar Year, a major scientific initiative focused on the Arctic and Antarctic, organized by the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization.
By 2010, China had deployed a high-precision greenhouse gas monitoring system at the station, allowing for continuous, high-resolution measurements of carbon dioxide and methane. This made China the third country in the world capable of conducting such operations in Antarctica.
(With input from Reuters)
