A team of researchers from the Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping at Wuhan University has returned from China's 42nd Antarctic expedition with high-resolution data documenting rapid ecological shifts and a sharp increase in human activity on the polar continent. The five-member team, part of a larger 550-member national delegation spanning 125 domestic and international institutions, returned in early April.

Utilizing advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite navigation tracking and tidal gauges, the researchers captured centimeter-level data that expose the accelerating impacts of global warming on the Antarctic landscape.

For the researchers on the ground, the data matched a stark physical reality. Zang Lin, an associate researcher stationed at the Great Wall Station on the Fildes Peninsula, was responsible for satellite navigation and positioning performance testing, equipment maintenance and unmanned aerial vehicle observations in icy conditions.

"The visible light, thermal infrared and near-infrared data we collected achieve centimeter-level resolution," Zang said in an interview upon her return to China in April. "This allows cross-validation with satellite imagery and supports research on Antarctic vegetation, as well as snow and ice environments."

Zang, who was on her first trip to Antarctica, said that the UAV data helped compensate for satellite limitations, such as cloud interference and relatively coarse resolution. Combined with historical datasets, the data will support long-term time series analysis on ecological changes, including penguin reproduction and vegetation growth in the context of global warming.

Pang Xiaoping, a professor at the surveying and mapping center, who was also based at the station, focused on the humanities and social dimensions of polar research.

"How to balance human activity with environmental protection has become a central issue," Pang said, highlighting the rise in Antarctic tourism in recent years.

Pang examined the current status of research stations operated by different countries on the Fildes Peninsula, as well as their interactions. Comparing the region to an expedition she took part in more than two decades ago, she noted dramatic ecological changes — a direct manifestation of global warming.

"The polar regions are experiencing some of the fastest warming on Earth," she said, citing the accelerating rise in temperature and sea ice retreat in Antarctica.

The five-person team from Wuhan University split up across China's expanding network of polar infrastructure to deploy specialized monitoring hardware. At the Great Wall Station, postdoctoral fellow Liu Mingliang maintained a co-located Global Navigation Satellite System and tide gauge station, which integrates satellite positioning with real-time sea-level monitoring.

At Zhongshan Station, research assistant Hu Changhong deployed advanced tide gauges to collect critical ocean tide data.

At China's newest Antarctic base, Qinling Station, research assistant Yu Liang conducted observations of wind, wave and current fields to establish a permanent, stable marine observation system.

The researchers said that Antarctic expeditions are far more demanding than commonly imagined.

Fieldwork often takes place in areas without accessible roads, requiring hours of trekking across moss-covered wetlands, with the constant risk of getting stuck in mud.

Liu recalled a close encounter with a whale that approached within a meter of their rubber boat while returning from a nearby South Korean station. "It was a truly frightening moment," Liu said.

Despite the harsh environment, the researchers described life in Antarctica as unexpectedly warm and vibrant. During the expedition, they participated in a flag-raising ceremony to mark the 41st anniversary of Great Wall Station, inviting scientists from Russian, South Korean and Uruguayan stations. The celebration was followed by academic exchanges and even a film festival.

According to the Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, the center has sent some 200 researchers on polar expeditions, making it one of China's earliest and most active institutions in the field, with participation in every national Antarctic and Arctic mission.

The latest research outcomes are expected to be integrated into Wuhan University's talent development system, which combines undergraduate, master's and doctoral training, allowing students to approach the polar regions through the lenses of natural sciences, humanities and international governance.