China's Antarctic expedition uncovers insights into polynyas

Chinese 41st Antarctic Expedition successfully completed a key exploration of the Amundsen and Ross seas, during which rare polynyas were discovered. These polynyas play an important role in the Antarctic ecosystem and global climate dynamics and are the most important areas of open water among the sea ice.

According to Sun Yongming, a member of the expedition, it's only these polynyas that produce new ice in extremely low temperatures. The expedition members usually estimate the size of a polynya by the amount of ice it forms. The polynya in the Amundsen Sea is currently the 4th largest among all the polynyas around Antarctica. 

The waters around Antarctica contain more than a dozen large polynyas, among which the polynya in the Amundsen Sea stands out as one of the largest and most significant. This is reported by CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS. 

On 1 November 2024, China's 41st Antarctic expedition set off from the southern port city of Guangzhou. It consists of three vessels: Xuelong and Xuelong-2 for scientific research and logistics, as well as the Yongsheng cargo ship, which delivers supplies to Qinling Station. The mission is expected to last almost seven months, with a return scheduled for May 2025.
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