The radar equipment on Chinese icebreaker Xuelong cannot distinguish floating surface ice from an iceberg says an expert. This helps explain why the ship slammed into an iceberg in western Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea, says an article published in ECNS.cn.
What happened?
The collision happened on Saturday morning, breaking the ship’s mast and leaving about 250 metric tons of snow and ice on the front deck.
The variable weather in the area also contributed. The vessel was caught in a sudden thick fog and the crew was only able to spot the iceberg.
It was traveling at about 5.5 kilometers per hour and retreated immediately after the impact.
Damages due to the collision
Part of the hull was damaged. Other facilities on board including engines, navigation and the telecommunication systems, were unaffected.
No injuries were reported, the ministry said on its website.
Floating ice fragments
Satellite imagery showed that floating ice fragments has increased greatly since 2019.
The change is believed to be the result of increased cyclone activity in the area, Cheng said.
The floating ice drifted to the north, pushed by the wind, which affected Xuelong’s navigation.
Shipborne radar is an effective tool in detecting obstacles in polar regions, but its ability to distinguish between floating ice and an iceberg is impeded by the signal, Science and Technology Daily reported.
First marine survey
Xuelong entered the Amundsen Sea in early January for a marine survey but experienced “the worst sea conditions since departure.”
“The Amundsen Sea is the place that experiences the most active melting and disintegration of Antarctic ice shelves,” Cheng Xiao, dean of the College of Global Change and Earth System Science at Beijing Normal University
The difficult ice conditions and active cyclones in the Amundsen Sea vexed Chinese explorers for decades.
China’s 34th expedition successfully completed the first marine survey of the sea in March. Xuelong is the only Chinese icebreaker in service, with China’s first domestically built icebreaker, Xuelong2, expected to enter service this year.
Xuelong is in stable condition now. It sailed out of the iceberg-dense area and resumed its voyage in the early hours of Tuesday, Beijng time, the Ministry of Natural Resources said.
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Source: ECNS
