When he met Wu Guangjian, a researcher at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in the office, he was preparing for an inspection at the Prugangri Glacier .
"This glacier is located in the core area of Qiangtang . There is a desert at the edge of the reserve. To analyze the dust in ice core , you also need to collect some topsoil and local samples." Wu Guangjian told a reporter from Science and Technology Daily.
The second Qinghai-Tibet Plateau comprehensive scientific investigation and research (hereinafter referred to as the second Qinghai-Tibet Scientific Expedition) , this year it started the "peak mission" 2022- Mount Everest Comprehensive scientific investigation and research (hereinafter referred to as Mount Everest Scientific Expedition) .
Researcher Wu Guangjian, a researcher at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute of the National Academy of Sciences,
Photo provided by the interviewee
As a member of the second Qinghai-Tibet scientific expedition team, Wu Guangjian's daily work is to run back and forth between Beijing and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Not long ago, he had just completed his mission in the Mount Everest scientific examination, and his skin that was sunburned by on his face had not fully recovered.
Research on the dust "sealed" in the ice core
The Mount Everest scientific expedition carried out from May to June this year. One of the important tasks is to drill the ice core at an altitude of 6,500 meters in the East Velvet Glacier.
ice core is a cylindrical ice sample obtained from top to bottom from the top of the glacier. In the accumulation area at the top of the glacier, the longer the ice layer is formed, the older it is. The ice layer is like the annual rings of trees, and information about the changes in the earth's environment in the past is also recorded in the ice layer. To study global climate and environmental changes, glacier researchers need to drill into the ice core and analyze various information "sealed" in the ice core - stable isotopes, black carbon , dust, etc.
Wu Guangjian studies dust. He said that dust indicators reflect the past drought environment, and researchers will reveal from many aspects and angles what impact the solar radiation of dust has on global biogeochemical cycles and snow ice ablation.
Ice core records massive information about climate and environmental changes, but the process of obtaining the ice core is extremely difficult. When you come to a glacier, you must first open the road, transport supplies, select drilling points, and set up tents and equipment... The process of ice core production must consider various factors such as weather, temperature, depth, drill bits, and personnel conditions, as well as the storage and transportation of ice cores... It can be said that every time you perform an ice task, there is great uncertainty.
Wu Guangjian, who has more than 20 years of rich experience in field scientific research, encountered "not going well" in the Dongrongbu Glacier. "In the evening of May 16, our group of five people arrived at the drilling position at an altitude of 6,500 meters to prepare for the drilling that night. Suddenly, a strong wind blew up and the tent was blown down." Wu Guangjian recalled that this situation was also encountered at the source of Lancang River the year before, "It's so annoying, but there's no way."
The temperature is high during the day, and the ice core that is mottled will melt, so drilling the ice core needs to be carried out at extremely cold nights. In the snow and ice, staff have to work in tents. Without the tent as shelter, work cannot continue.
Seeing that the tent was blown to pieces, Wu Guangjian and his colleagues could only use the broken tent to cover and protect the prepared supplies and equipment, and then press the tent with snow ice to prevent it from being blown away by the strong wind, and then withdraw to the camp. The campground is located on a moraine several kilometers away from the drilling position, and it takes two hours to get there if you walk fast.
Wu Guangjian said that now at a low altitude, helicopters can help transport some supplies. But this time, at an altitude of 6,500 meters, the air was thin, which caused the engine power to be damaged. If the helicopter stopped, it might not be able to fly.
The "pioneer" of Guliya Glacier
Climbing the cape of glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the body has to withstand the test of extremes: low pressure, hypoxia, extreme cold... But after listening to Wu Guangjian's narration, you can hardly feel the depression of moving forward with a load, and it is more of the fun and ultimate experience of survival in the wild.
In October 2015, the main pioneer in ice core research in my country, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences Yao Tandong led a team to drill a 309-meter-long ice core in the Guliya Glacier, which is currently the longest ice core drilled on the earth except for the North and South Poles. During that major field scientific expedition mission, Wu Guangjian served as the executive captain. Since he entered Guliya in August to prepare, Wu Guangjian has been squatting on the ice and snow for two months. This is also the longest and most memorable experience in his field science experience.
Guliya Glacier is located in the western Kunlun Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is rarely visited. "Teacher Yao Tandong used to play ice cores there in 1991. 24 years have passed. How the glaciers there change, how to respond to climate warming, and some questions left over from previous ice core records all need to be examined again before they can be answered." Wu Guangjian said.
Kunlun Mountain Highway
As the executive captain, Wu Guangjian must ensure the smooth progress of the scientific expedition task. He took the lead in entering the ancient Guliya Glacier. The first hard bone to "chew" was to explore the way, opening up a safe road for the scientific research force, especially to identify ice cracks.
Ice cracks, that is, glacier cracks caused by glacier movement , have different shapes, widths, narrows, and depths. During mountaineering, most ice cracks will be marked, and people will insert two road markers here and tie an "X" shape with two ropes. But when snow fills ice cracks, it is still not easy to detect.
"When exploring the way, we had safety rope tied around our waists, and we were connected together, so that even if anyone stepped on the air, we could be grabbed immediately." Wu Guangjian said that the section with the most cracks in Guliya ice was on the large slope that rose to 6,000 meters above sea level. The narrow ice crack can be directly crossed; when encountering a wider one, you have to tie ice axe on both sides, pull the rope, tie a safety rope, and pull the rope and step over the snow under your feet.
opened the way, and the materials and equipment used to drill for ice cores arrived one after another. In particular, two snowmobile can drive from an altitude of 5,400 meters to a drill point at an altitude of 6,200 meters and 6,700 meters. The scientific expedition team was able to speed up the progress of their operations on the ice.
Field work made him feel broad-minded
The "big adventure" of the Guliya Glacier is not the most dangerous. Wu Guangjian felt the most dangerous time was in 2006, with his colleague Xu Baiqing, a researcher at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and walked to the Azha Glacier from , Ranwu Lake (located in Basu County, Changdu City, Tibet Autonomous Region) to Gucun to hike to the Azha Glacier. He walked along the cliffs, and the abyss was under his feet. "I didn't think anything at that time, but now I think about it, but I'm still a little scared."
"But I personally like to go out of the wild. When I arrive at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, my mood will be wide open. I never feel uncomfortable when I ride a car in Tibet. I will never feel uncomfortable until I get on the glaciers. I will have a little plateau reaction." Wu Guangjian said that I have a clear work plan when going out of the wild, and I feel very gained every time I complete the task.
For Wu Guangjian, the only "bad" in the wild is to tan yourself. On the glacier, if strict protective measures are not taken, the skin will be "sun and exploded". In 2001, he first went to the Institute of Environmental and Engineering of Cold and Arid Areas of Chinese Academy of Sciences and followed Yao Tandong to engage in ice core research. He went to the Mustag Peak of of the Pamir Plateau and drilled the ice core at an altitude of 6,350 meters. At that time, he didn't care much about the reflex of the snow, and his skin was "exploded" when he went out of the wild on the first day.
Since engaged in ice core research, Wu Guangjian has completed 18 ice core drillings on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the total length of the ice core is more than 2,700 meters. With the deepening of the second Qinghai-Tibet scientific expedition, Wu Guangjian's inspection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has increased and expanded his work content from studying ice cores to studying " Asian Water Tower ".
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the second only to the Antarctic and Arctic ice and snow storage area, and has nurtured more than a dozen major rivers in Asia.Against the backdrop of global warming , what changes are happening to this "Asian water tower", what trends will it evolve in the future, and what impact will it have on the water resources and ecological environment in the surrounding areas... These are the key questions to be answered in the second Qinghai-Tibet scientific expedition, and are also the scientific goals of Wu Guangjian's next glacier adventure.
Author: Yang Xue
Source: Science and Technology Daily, October 10, 2022, Edition 05
*Original title is "Wu Guangjian: Interpreting the past and present life of Asian water towers with "core""
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