The Chinese expedition team successfully finished its 131-day research mission in Antarctica and returned to Shanghai early on Tuesday.

The scientists completed research on over 30 summer scientific inspection programs ranging from biogeochemical circular process of the biosphere of Chinese stations at Antarctica, medical research on Antarctica, monitoring planetary circulation, observation on geomagnetism and ozone, to resumption of observation on gravity solid tide at the Zhongshan Station, one of the two research bases built by the Chinese there, said an official with the State Oceanic Administration.

While doing the comprehensive inspection program at Grove Mountains, the Chinese scientists collected 5,354 pieces of cloud stones, exceeding the aggregate number collected in the previous three trips. The cloud stones include one from the moon.

The expedition team, the 22nd of the kind, left Shanghai on Nov.18 last year on the ship Xuelong (Snowdragon).

Thirty scientists from this expedition stay behind at Zhongshan and Changcheng, the two Chinese stations built on Antarctica, to spend long winter nights at the South Pole. They are also supposed to do a one-year research work and logistics at the two stations.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2006)