On September 27th, the 13th Arctic Ocean Scientific Expedition of China successfully concluded its 78-day mission and returned to Shanghai, led by the "Snow Dragon 2" polar icebreaker. A significant highlight of this expedition was the participation of the "Xinghai 1000" Polar Exploration Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (Polar AUV), developed by the National Key Laboratory of Underwater Robot Technology at HEU. This marked the first time that China embarked on a mission to gather comprehensive data on the shape and appearance of ice beneath the Arctic ice.

Equipped with an independently developed multi-beam ice detection sonar by the College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering at HEU, the "Xinghai 1000" Polar AUV carried out China's inaugural observational experiment on the morphology of the Arctic ice bottom. The experiment successfully recorded approximately 7000 square meters of ice structure and appearance, providing valuable information on seawater flow velocity and direction at the ice-water interface at four specific points. Furthermore, this experiment contributes to a deeper understanding of changes in sea ice and ocean currents in the region, offering essential data to address the impact of global climate change on China.

Figure note: "Xinghai 1000" tested in a simulated base environment