MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

China builds station on Antarctica's highest icecap

PLATeau Observatory on Dome A

China set up this week its third Antarctic research station, also the country's first on the continent's inland. Kunlun station was erected at Dome Argus (Dome A), the South Pole's highest icecap at 4,093 metres above the sea level, reports the Beijing press.

Chinese President Hu Jintao sent a congratulatory telegram to the team, saying that the construction of the station will help China further improve scientific research on the continent. He encouraged the scientists to persist with research efforts, improve international cooperation and strive to achieve more scientific results to make greater contributions to human research and the peaceful use of Antarctica. The Kunlun station is designed to cover an area of 558.56 square meters. Its main construction, covering 236 square meters, will be completed by April, when the expedition team is expected to return. The station will be used to study glaciology, astronomy, topology, geophysics, atmospheric science and space physics in the Antarctic inland. It will also be used to explore deep glacier ice core and mountains under the Antarctic ice, and carry out astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observation. It will also research data collected from satellites. Other studies will include the effects of extreme weather on human psychology and physiology, and medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals. Chinese researchers made their first trip to Dome A in January 2005. In January 2008, another Chinese Antarctic expedition went there to prepare for the construction of the Kunlun station. China has so far built two research stations in Antarctica. The Changcheng (Great-Wall) Station, founded in February 1985, is located south of King George Island. The Zhongshan Station, built in February 1989, is located south of Prydz Bay on the Mirror Peninsula, eastern of Larsemann Hills. This is China's 25th expedition to Antarctica.