China’s Antarctic expedition aims to drill into Qilin Subglacial Lake buried 3,600 metres beneath the ice for the first time.
BEIJING: China is preparing to achieve a historic scientific milestone by drilling into the Qilin Subglacial Lake in Antarctica — a hidden body of water buried beneath over 3,600 metres of ice in Princess Elizabeth Land. This marks the nation’s first attempt to explore such extreme depths below the Antarctic ice cap.
Part of China’s 42nd Antarctic expedition, the mission will employ domestically developed hot-water and thermal-melting drilling systems to conduct clean sampling in one of the world’s most remote and extreme environments. The team will be carrying out scientific experiments from aboard China’s polar research icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2, with the project scheduled to conclude by May 2026.
The Qilin Subglacial Lake was officially named by China in 2022 and represents a previously untouched scientific frontier. Subglacial lakes are believed to hold clues to microbial life, ancient climate records, and the hidden dynamics of Earth’s most mysterious continent.
According to expedition leader Wei Fuhai, the mission is not only a testament to China’s rising polar research capabilities but also a significant contribution to global glaciology and climate science. The data extracted from the ice core and lakebed sediments could offer insights into past environmental changes and the limits of life on Earth — or even in space.
This marks the latest in a series of polar science advances by China, positioning it as a growing force in international research in Antarctica. The expedition underscores increasing global interest in the polar regions as key indicators in climate change, as well as potential models for planetary exploration.
Both icebreakers have already crossed the equator and entered the Southern Hemisphere, with the drilling set to begin after reaching the inland station near Princess Elizabeth Land.
