An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed by a Chinese university team has obtained an abundant amount of data during the country's latest Arctic expedition, revealing various features beneath the North Pole.

Built by researchers from Harbin Engineering University (HEU), the red, fish-shaped robot dubbed "XH1000" completed under-ice environment detection operations near the Chukchi Sea during the country's 13th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition, and relayed a torrent of data, including ocean water temperature, salinity and pH levels.

The polar-observing AUV, equipped with domestically developed detection sonars, explored an area of 7,000 square meters beneath the Arctic ice, which is conducive to further understanding the changing process of sea ice and ocean currents in the region, and provides data support for effectively coping with the impact of global climate change on China, said Zhu Zhongben, operation team leader and an associate professor at HEU.

Its expedition also verified several key technologies, including underwater navigation at high latitudes in the polar region, underwater acoustic communication and precise control of under-ice navigation, and generated valuable experience for robotic submersible to work in the high-risk polar areas and extreme harsh environments.

China's 13th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition team set sail on July 12 aboard the polar icebreaker Xuelong-2. They returned to the home port in Shanghai on September 27 after a voyage of 15,000 nautical miles (roughly 27,800 kilometers) over 78 days.

The icebreaker reached the North Pole on September 5 to conduct ice and marine investigations, marking the first time a Chinese vessel ever reached that point, which has helped to fill the gap in the country's database about the North Pole region.

(With input from Xinhua)