Chinese Icebreaker Returns Home After Completing Unprecedented Arctic Voyage
Chinese Icebreaker Returns Home After Completing Unprecedented Arctic Voyage
Xuelong, also known as Snow Dragon - a Chinese icebreaker - became the first Chinese ship to cross the Arctic Ocean, as it returned to Shanghai earlier this week.
Although this is the country’s fifth Arctic expedition, this is an unprecedented round trip between the Pacific and the Atlantic via the Arctic route.
According to Polar Research Institute of China, there were 119 crewmembers aboard the icebreaker. It took a total of three months to complete the 18,500 nautical mile expedition, beginning in early July from Qingdao; this included over 5,000 nautical miles through the Arctic ice zone.
Aided by the retreat of Arctic ice that scientists have linked to global warming, Xuelong completed its first trip through the Northwest seaway after channeling through the Arctic’s five so-called marginal seas from July 22 to Aug 2: the Chukchi Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Laptev Sea, the Kara Sea and the Barents Sea - reports China Daily.