Snow Dragon‑2 to Deploy Disposable Ice‑Based Buoys and Core Samples

During its current Arctic voyage, the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon‑2 will deploy more than twenty disposable buoys that anchor directly into the sea‑ice.

These buoys are designed to record temperature, salinity, and ice thickness throughout the melt season, providing continuous data streams for climate researchers.

In addition to buoy deployment, the vessel will extract numerous ice cores from the surveyed stations. The cores will be analyzed for physical properties and trapped gases, offering insights into historical climate patterns.

Combined, the buoy network and core samples will help scientists better understand the feedback mechanisms driving rapid Arctic ice loss.