Cui Yingchun: bring back one metric ton of samples

Cui Yingchun, left, a senior engineer from the No 1 Marine Institute of the Ministry of Natural Resources, compares notes with a German scientist during China's 35th research mission to Antarctica. [Photo provided by chinadaily.com.cn]

Cui Yingchun is a senior engineer at the Lab of Marine Geology and Geophysics of the No 1 Marine Institute of Ministry of Natural Resources. During the expedition, he worked with his counterparts from Germany to carry out geological investigation.

"We made efforts to research the development of the archicontinent, as well as geological effects for future research programs performed by Xuelong," Cui said.

He and his team members explored 122 outcrops and brought back one metric ton of samples.

Once he found a piece of rare unweathered granite and tried to take samples with a hammer, but had no luck — so he had to carry the whole 15-kilogram rock back.

Zhao Peng: contribute to the establishment of China’s first Polar Regions marine station

"China has established its first marine station in the Antarctic," said Zhao Peng, a senior engineer from the North China Sea Marine Forecasting Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

"Now we can get data about tides in the station and transmit them back in real time to two centers in Shanghai and Qingdao for further study," Zhao said.

Zhao added there is still a long way to go to build a marine station in the Antarctic which can support more science tasks, due to the tough natural environment.

"The station will monitor salinity, temperature, waves as well as sea ice in the future," Zhao said.