BEIJING, 11th November, 2025 (WAM) -- China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team is preparing to, for the first time, drill into a subglacial lake buried over 3,600 meters deep beneath the ice cap in Antarctica.
During the expedition, the team plans to conduct scientific drilling experiments in the Qilin Subglacial Lake for the first time, said Wei Fuhai, leader of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team.
Using domestically built hot-water and thermal-melting drill systems, the team will carry out clean drilling and sampling through ice of 3,600 meters thick, said Wei.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), China has made some early-stage preparations for the scientific drilling of the lake.
The Qilin Subglacial Lake, which was named by China in 2022, is located in the Princess Elizabeth Land in the East Antarctic inland ice sheet.
The team is carrying out the mission onboard Xuelong and Xuelong 2 polar research icebreakers, and is scheduled to conclude the mission by May 2026.
Both icebreakers have now crossed the equator and entered the Southern Hemisphere.