On April 23, the 36th Antarctic Scientific Expedition returned to its domestic base terminal in Shanghai, with the boats Xuelong and Xuelong 2 docking to mark the successful end of their expedition. Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) research assistant professor Lei FU was invited to take part in the 36th Antarctic Scientific Expedition.

This particular expedition was unique for its use of the Xuelong 2. It is the first purpose-built polar icebreaker made by Chinese shipbuilders. The teams stayed longer than planned due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak but made good use of their time at the base.

He joined the fixed-wing aircraft team of the 36th Antarctic Expedition (expedition team). The expedition team will be conducting aerogeophysical (ice radar, gravity, and magnetic) surveys in the East Antarctic area. Lei FU was also examining the ambient noise observations along the route that runs inland between Zhongshan and Taishan Station, to image the detailed structure of the East Antarctic ice sheet and upper crust.

He has been seeking to get a better understanding of the Antarctic and how to protect it. Lei FU is trying to work out how the climate has changed over time to improve disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities. He is also hoping to find mineral resources within the continent, as there have been few geological and geophysical surveys.

The expedition team had to deal with the vagaries of bad weather, which are much worse in the Antarctic. Sometimes they could not even fly because of the wind or having their equipment covered in enormous amounts of snow. Despite these challenges, many scientific experiments were undertaken throughout the field trip.

Lei FU noted that many members came together to form an informal academic exchange, with 12 reports spread over four days. This was enhanced by his successful imaging experiments and the many friends that he made throughout the trip.