Lanzhou, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Wang Xing, a 26-year-old doctoral student, described the Chinese New Year as "excited." This Spring Festival, he is busier than in previous years, because he and the members of the Chinese "snow team" are working together on the front line of the Beijing Winter Olympics to ensure the snow for the Winter Olympics.
Wang Xing studied at the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he studied under Qin Dahe, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2017, Qin Dahe established the Beijing Winter Olympics Snow Support Key Technology Research Team (hereinafter referred to as the "Snow Tackling Team") to provide risk prevention and adverse meteorological conditions for the track snow quality and snow source protection plan.
On January 15, 2022, Wang Xing (left) and team members set up a snow pile surface temperature sensor on the Shougang big jump platform. Courtesy of respondents
Since 2018, Wang Xing has joined the team to engage in simulation research on the dynamic change of snow storage. He is honored to be able to apply theoretical learning to practice and serve the Winter Olympics on his doorstep. He said that the Beijing Winter Olympics will hold the Winter Olympics in the continental monsoon climate zone, which is the "first time" in the history of the Winter Olympics, and it is prone to extreme weather in the winter and spring transitions, which puts forward higher requirements for the emergency guarantee plan for the snow quality of the track.
"There are very few studies on snow storage at home and abroad, and the references are particularly small, and they involve different disciplines. We explored under the guidance of the teacher, and finally had a systematic understanding of the scientific problems involving snow storage. Wang Xing told reporters that under the guidance of his co-supervisor Wang Feiteng, a researcher at the Northwest Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the snow storage work has progressed smoothly.
"I mainly do snow storage field experiments and related theoretical research. Under the guidance of the teacher, we use different materials to cover the snow, and compare the snow amount and snow quality changes under the cover of different materials to determine the best plan to prevent the risk of snow use caused by rising temperatures. Wang Xing said.
Since 2018, Wang Xing has lost count of how many days he has worked in minus 20 degrees Celsius. Shougang Big Jumping Platform and other Winter Olympic venues have left him and his teachers behind. Since January 2 this year, he has insisted on storing snow on the Shougang Big Jump. There, their team managed to store 5,000 cubic meters of snow.
"Just think of a little bit of my work behind the reserve snow, no matter how tired and cold it is worth it." Wang Xing sighed that the Beijing Winter Olympics opened up his research ideas and laid the foundation for his future work in snow storage.
Wang Feiteng said that because of the opportunities brought by the Beijing Winter Olympics, the "snow research team" not only reserves the core technology, but also trains the first batch of graduate students and ski resort technical backbones in China's snow field. These talents will contribute to the sustainable development of China's future ice and snow industry.
Like Wang Xing, Ji Kaicheng, a master's student at the School of Geography and Environment of Shandong Normal University, is also a team member. Under the joint guidance of Ding Minghu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, and Sun Weijun, associate professor of the School of Geography and Environment of Shandong Normal University, he carried out the experimental production of the ice-like snow track.
Ji Kaicheng introduced that the ice-like snow track is the key hardware guarantee for alpine skiing competitions. "When I first started, I had no experience, kept asking the teacher for advice, read a lot of relevant books, and gradually explored a hardening scheme suitable for Chinese ski slopes."
Ji Kaicheng (right) and team members conduct an ice-like snow track production experiment at Zhangjiakou Chongli Genting Ski Park. Courtesy of respondents
Under the leadership of their mentor Sun Weijun, they arrived at the Yabuli Ski Resort in Harbin, Heilongjiang in November 2020 for ice-like snow trial production. The temperature in the test area is often around minus 20 degrees Celsius during the day. Whenever the wind strikes, the sensory temperature can even reach minus 30 degrees Celsius. The cold was blowing, the wind was carrying snow into their hats and clothes, and the work in the snow field often lasted more than 10 hours.
"Frozen and frozen, frozen, used to it." Working in the snow is a tempering of one's will. Engaged in the Winter Olympics snow protection work, not everyone has the opportunity, I cherish very much. Ji Kaicheng said.
After a year of practice, Ji Kaicheng has mastered the track production process and the evaluation method of qualified tracks, and he has also participated in the writing of the thesis on the formulation of track standards.
While serving the Winter Olympics, the "Snow Affairs Team" will also set its sights on the development of the national ice and snow industry, thus giving birth to another batch of talents.
An Hongmin conducted an ice-like snow track production test at the Yabuli Ski Resort in Heilongjiang. Courtesy of respondents
Professor Xiao Cunde, director of the State Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology of Beijing Normal University, guided Dr. An Hongmin to carry out research on the spatial layout of China's ski industry and the impact of climate change on China's ski tourism, which provided a theoretical reference for the sustainable development of China's ice and snow industry in the future.
According to Guo Cunde, China's "cryosphere science" focuses on the national strategy, sets up a scientific research team of ice and snow project services led by young and middle-aged backbone teachers and participated by graduate students, and has spawned a group of reserve talents who focus on the guarantee service of ice and snow projects in sports events, highlighting the ability of China's higher education in the cultivation of graduate talents, and contributing scientific and technological strength to the competitive sports power.
Experts such as Wang Feiteng and Sun Weijun said that after the Winter Olympics, in order to continue to release the dividends of ice and snow sports, it is still necessary to pay attention to the cultivation and output of ice and snow sports scientific research talents. They will continue to cultivate "ice and snow talents" to provide support for the sustainable development of China's ice and snow industry.