The Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) has achieved multiple world records over an eight-year period since August 2017, setting a new standard for large-scale original scientific research, according to a conference held on November 19 in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

During the expedition and research, comprehensive studies were conducted on several peaks within Xizang. Among the breakthroughs, researchers for the first time used high-precision radar to obtain a continuous ice and snow thickness profile and accurate depth measurements at the summit of Mount Qomolangma. This achievement was highlighted by the prestigious journal Nature under the headline: "How thick is Mount Qomolangma’s ice? Scientists find the answer!"

In another first, the team employed domestically developed advanced instruments to measure vertical profiles of ozone concentration, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction from ground level up to 39 kilometers above the Mount Qomolangma region. The expedition also set a world record by using an airship to conduct comprehensive environmental observations at 9,050 meters above sea level—the highest altitude for such measurements.

Furthermore, the team successfully installed an automatic weather station at 8,201 meters on the summit of Mount Cho Oyu, performed ice and snow thickness measurements, and retrieved ice core samples. This marked the first time a Chinese scientific expedition team has reached the summit of a peak over 8,000 meters other than Mount Qomolangma since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The team also carried out a major research initiative titled "Guardian of the Water Tower: One Ice Field, Two Lakes, Three Rivers". Focusing on the Purog Kangri Ice Field—the largest in mid-low latitudes globally—Xizang's two largest lakes, Serling Tso and Namtso, and the headwaters of the Yangtze, Nu, and Yarlung Tsangpo rivers, researchers collaborated in extreme environments at altitudes of 6,000 meters.

Key findings include the discovery of the thickest glacier known on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau within the Purog Kangri Ice Field, measuring 400 meters thick, alongside a world-record ice core drill of 324 meters—the longest mountain ice core ever retrieved. The team also identified two suspected new species and over 20 species newly recorded in the region for the first time.

Other pioneering results include the first elucidation of the physiological adaptation process and biological mechanisms of human hemodynamics after high-altitude exposure; the first discovery of rare metal beryllium enrichment near the main peak of the Nyenchen Tonglha Mountains; and a record-setting drilling operation in the Lunpola Basin exceeding 1,000 meters—the deepest environmental science drill core ever obtained on the plateau. Additionally, a 510.2-meter drilling operation at Namtso Lake set a new record as China’s deepest lake drilling achievement.

These scientific outcomes hold profound significance for supporting the implementation of China’s ecological protection law for the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. They also provide valuable data and theoretical support for global climate change research, protection of the "Asian Water Tower", and studies on human adaptation and sustainable development in high-altitude regions.

Reporter: Pan Lu, Zhi Xinghua, Peng Qing, Zhang Yuxin, Dan Zhen

Editor: Zhi Xinghua

Review: Li Chengye