The 12 members of a Chinese expedition on Tuesday became the first humans to scale the highest icecap peak in Antarctica, Dome A Icecap 4, state media reported. The team reached the summit early Tuesday morning, Xinhua News Agency quoted the polar expedition office of the state oceanic administration as saying. The expedition members are the first humans to reach the peak, 4,093 metres above sea level, located at 80.22 degrees south latitude and 77.21 degrees east longitude. The Chinese team planned to establish an interim scientific observation station at the spot to monitor the climatic environment, measure the depth of the icecap and obtain ice samples from a depth of 150 metres to 200 metres below the surface, the administration said. The team will also look for the right location for the third Chinese scientific research station at Antarctica which will form a regional climatic environment monitoring system.
