Immediately afterwards, Zhang Hao turned his attention to the southern front.
Compared with the northern route, the southern route is much simpler. Except for parts of South America, other southern hemisphere landmasses are basically included.
Zhang Hao couldn't help being surprised: "Stationmaster Sun, according to your drawing method, the land area of the southern hemisphere... seems to be larger than that of the northern hemisphere?"
You must know that before this, the Northern Hemisphere was the absolute political, economic and cultural center, while the Southern Hemisphere has always played a small and transparent role.
"Consul, you read that right. The overall latitude of the land in the Southern Hemisphere is relatively low. Most of it is within 30 degrees south latitude. It is a relatively warm land."
Stationmaster Sun nodded.
"It's a pity that these places are either not highly developed, have poor infrastructure, or are in disorder and have high governance costs, so they are not good choices."
Zhang Hao couldn't help but shook his head.
Even the Australian region has an original population of just over 20 million. If it wants to accommodate a larger population, it can only invest heavily in comprehensive development.
But now, what the federation is short of is money.
Upon hearing this, Stationmaster Sun pointed at the Amazon Great Plains on the map and said bluntly: "Consul, if you have to choose a place to settle in the southern hemisphere, I think this place has the most development value."
"Huh? Here? Would you like to hear the details?"
Zhang Hao humbly asked for advice.
“First of all, this is a rare alluvial plain with an area of 5.6 million square kilometers, which is almost equivalent to two-thirds of the mainland area, and has huge potential;
Secondly, the Amazon Plain is located on the equator, which can be said to be the warmest place on the Blue Star. The temperature is very balanced in the four seasons, and the precipitation is relatively abundant, which is very conducive to residence and production and construction;
Finally, the Amazon Plain borders Venezuela to the north. As we all know, Venezuela is rich in oil reserves, with nearly 300 billion barrels of oil buried underground. Coupled with North American oil, gas and coal, the energy supply is very sufficient."
Webmaster Sun introduced in detail.
Zhang Hao was a little moved after hearing this, but he lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and finally shook his head:
"The Amazon Plain is good, but the investment is too high. The federal government currently does not have the financial resources to develop this area. Moreover, if the sun reappears in the future, all investment will be in vain."
Once the sun returns to the earth, the tropical climate of the Amazon plain will be absolutely unsuitable for human habitation, and all new cities will be useless.
Stationmaster Sun tried his best to persuade: "Consul, to put it bluntly, no one knows what the future will look like, but as the central government, I think we should prepare for the worst so as not to be caught off guard."
"Stationmaster Sun, I understand what you mean. Regarding this point, I can assure you that the Central Committee began to make preparations a few years ago. When the day comes, the Central Committee will not be helpless."
Zhang Hao smiled and reassured.
"Really? Can I ask..."
Stationmaster Sun couldn't help but wonder.
Zhang Hao waved his hand and interrupted on the spot: "The specific content is currently top secret. It's not convenient for me to say it. If it gets out, it will have a bad impact and can easily cause panic. Maybe it will be made public on the day when it is actually completed!"
"Then I won't ask, just be prepared!"
Stationmaster Sun breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Hao casually picked up the map on the table and asked with a smile: "Webmaster Sun, I wonder if you can give this map to me?"
"Of course, no problem, you can do whatever you want."
Zhang Hao folded up the map, handed it to the assistant on the side, and then spoke again:
"Stationmaster Sun, do I have another question?"
"Excuse me!"
Stationmaster Sun and others immediately sat upright.
"Don't be nervous, everyone. My question happens to be in your professional field, so it shouldn't be difficult to answer. I want to know whether there will be a super volcanic eruption in the Indonesian region of Tianzhu in the future?"
There is also a world-class super volcano on the Indonesian Islands. Once this volcano erupts, it will pose a serious threat to the development of Southeast Asia.
"Consul, are you talking about the Toba volcano?"
Webmaster Sun confirmed casually.
Zhang Hao nodded: "Yes, the Toba volcano is the second largest super volcano in the world after the Yellowstone volcano, and it is very close to our homeland, so we have to guard against it."
"Archon, Mount Toba and Mount Fuji both belong to the Pacific Rim Volcano and Seismic Belt. Mount Fuji has erupted before. I personally think it is unlikely to erupt on a large scale in the near future."
Stationmaster Sun replied thoughtfully.
"Are you sure?" Zhang Hao asked in surprise.
"I can't say 100%, but there is still a 70% to 80% probability. After all, the pressure inside the earth's crust takes time to accumulate. The previous eruptions of the Yellowstone volcano and Mount Fuji volcano have almost released the pressure." Webmaster Sun solemnly said.
He nodded.
Zhang Hao was a little worried, so he followed up and asked: "Webmaster Sun, I would like to know how long the 'recent' you refer to roughly?"
"At least a hundred years!"
Webmaster Sun gave a conservative figure.
Zhang Hao slapped the tabletop excitedly: "Okay, this way, we won't have anything to worry about."
Next, Webmaster Sun and others reported some of the latest research results to Zhang Hao, the most important of which was the prediction of the next climate change.
Zhang Hao frowned: "So, within the next hundred years, we will inevitably enter the Great Ice Age?"
"To be precise, it is already the case now, and in the next hundred years, if the polar night environment does not improve, it will enter the peak of the Great Ice Age.
By then, more than 80% of the Blue Star will be covered by thick ice sheets, and only the areas along the equator will be spared."
Stationmaster Sun spoke with seriousness and sincerity.
Zhang Hao couldn't help but sigh: "When that day comes, human beings will only have to hang on for a while. If you make a careless move, you may not even have a chance to stand up."
"Consul, you don't have to be too discouraged. As far as I know, the Eastern Academy of Sciences is currently actively studying how to remove volcanic ash in the atmosphere. It is said that preliminary results have been achieved..."
Stationmaster Sun took the opportunity to introduce.
"Really? I'll ask someone later. If we can really solve the problem of volcanic ash, it will be worth it no matter how much it costs." Zhang Hao refreshed.
"I'm afraid it's impossible to solve it completely, but improvement is still possible. As long as the trend of falling temperatures is curbed, the probability of extreme situations is low."
Webmaster Sun added another sentence immediately.
Zhang Hao felt relieved: "It's good if it can be improved, but I'm afraid it will continue in a vicious cycle."
"The vicious cycle is really scary!"
Stationmaster Sun agreed.
At the end of the meeting, Zhang Hao proposed that he would like to visit several other scientific research stations, especially the scientific research station on Mt. Fuji, which must be included in any case.
Stationmaster Sun suddenly looked embarrassed and tried his best to persuade: "Archon, the Mount Fuji volcano is not in a dormant state at present, and there will occasionally be small-scale eruptions. You were too risky in the past."
"It's okay. It's okay for you to be stationed at the top of the mountain all year round. I'm just here for a few hours. What could happen?" Zhang Hao insisted.
It's not that he is hypocritical or not afraid of death, but the probability of an accident is very small. According to the memory in the dream, the Mount Fuji volcano will be quiet for the next ten years.
No matter how great his butterfly effect is, it cannot have an impact on Mount Fuji volcano.
It is said that first impression is very important. This trip around the world is a good opportunity for him to build his character. Compared with this, it is worth taking a little risk.
"Archon..."
Everyone present advised him.
Also included were members of the inspection team.
Zhang Hao waved his hand and overcame everyone's opinions: "I have made up my mind. You don't need to persuade me any more. If others can take risks, I can take risks too. We are all members of the Federation. No one is more noble than anyone else."
At the same time, a camera not far away faithfully recorded this moment. I believe this scene will soon appear on the news tomorrow.
In the end, Stationmaster Sun and others could only choose to compromise: "Consul, if you insist on going to Fujishan Branch, then I hope you can obey the arrangement and wait for two or three days until we are fully prepared.
Go up again."
"No problem, I promise you."
Zhang Hao immediately agreed.
The other party did this for the sake of his safety, and he had no reason to refuse.
…
Soon, it was time to climb Mount Fuji.
In the past three days, Zhang Hao did not be lazy, but visited all the sub-stations, and even did not miss some major observation points.
After breakfast, after a long journey, the group finally arrived at the foot of Mount Fuji.
As the highest peak on Nissan Island, Mount Fuji covers an area of approximately 1,200 square kilometers and is nearly 4,000 meters above sea level. It is a veritable behemoth.
After changing the mountaineering equipment, Stationmaster Sun first introduced: "Archon, there is snow on the top of Mount Fuji, which is very dangerous. For this trip, we only need to climb up the mountainside, which is exactly where the snow line is."
"Isn't the scientific research station at the top of the mountain?"
Zhang Hao looked puzzled.
"Well, there is only one monitoring point on the top of the mountain. There is no need for anyone to keep watch. All you need to do is retrieve the monitoring data regularly. The real scientific research station is already on the mountainside."
Stationmaster Sun quickly explained.
For the sake of the consul's safety, in just these three days, they urgently built a new sub-station on the mountainside, with an altitude one thousand meters lower than the original scientific research station. It was considered a well-intentioned effort.
Zhang Hao waved his hand and said casually: "To tell you the truth, I had a lot of mountaineering experience when I was young, and I even climbed Mount Everest. Mount Fuji is not difficult for me at all. Why don't we go to the peak to have a look?"
"
"Consul, please be more considerate of us. We are very young and have weak physical strength. One thousand meters is already the limit for us."
Stationmaster Sun quickly stopped the other party.
Zhang Hao nodded: "That's right, then let's go to the mountainside instead of climbing to the top."
"Great, it's getting late, let's leave quickly, shall we? Try to get back before night, so as not to spend the night in the mountains and add logistical pressure to the sub-station."
Stationmaster Sun couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Hao casually turned on the lights above his head, faced the camera lens, and waved his hand:
"Everyone, listen to my instructions, let's set off!"
Following the consul's order, the crowd rushed towards the stone stairs in the mountain.
The stone stairs must have been cleaned in advance, and there was no volcanic ash or snow in sight. Zhang Hao was holding a hiking pole and was surrounded by several bodyguards.
While climbing the mountain, he chatted with Stationmaster Sun and others, and seemed to be in a good mood.
This was his first time climbing a mountain in 40 years. Although it was not an extreme sport, it still brought back memories.
After an hour and a half like this, the trip was finally halfway through. At Stationmaster Sun's suggestion, everyone found an abandoned hotel to rest for a while.
Zhang Hao took the insulated kettle from his assistant and drank a few gulps of sugar water.
Before setting off, everyone brought a large pot of sugar water with them. After all, the current conditions were limited and they could only rely on sugar water to replenish their energy. Chocolate and other things were a luxury.
"Stationmaster Sun, in daily life, do all the supplies on the mountain have to be carried on the shoulders?"
Stationmaster Sun nodded and said with a helpless look on his face: "I originally went up the mountain road one day, but because of the earthquake ten years ago, it was seriously damaged and it is no longer passable.
The climbing stone staircase we just walked took several years to repair. Only after it is repaired can a scientific research station be set up on the mountain."
"So hard work? Can the road be repaired that day? If necessary, I can help solve the financial problem." Zhang Hao suggested casually.
"No, the amount of work is too big, and it's icy and snowy. It's very dangerous to drive. It's better to go on foot!"
Webmaster Sun explained.
Zhang Hao nodded: "That's it!"
Stationmaster Sun saw that the opportunity was good, so he tried to ask for help: "Consul, we actually need helicopters more than building roads. Whether it is transporting supplies or participating in rescue operations, we can get twice the result with half the effort."
"Helicopter? Can it be used here?"
Zhang Hao said doubtfully.
"Ordinary civilian helicopters will definitely not work. What we need is a military helicopter. I heard that the military has recently successfully developed an electric helicopter with a maximum load of twenty tons and can be used in various complex environments."
"That's it!" Zhang Hao touched his nose and then promised: "Don't worry, as long as this helicopter is mass-produced, I will let the military give priority to supplying it to you."
"Consul, on behalf of all the staff of our scientific research station, I would like to say thank you. You have helped us a lot." Stationmaster Sun was immediately overjoyed.
If there are two or three helicopters, their work will be much easier and the casualty rate will be greatly reduced.
Zhang Hao shook his head: "No need to say thank you, you deserve this. This is a peaceful era, and the military can definitely postpone the service for some time."
"Whatever you want, there are so many agencies and units in the Federation, and they are all more difficult than us..."
"Well, your words have inspired me. If this helicopter really has such outstanding performance, the central government must place more large orders and try to send them to the places where they are most needed."
Zhang Hao said thoughtfully.
Stationmaster Sun nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "This is a great thing. In fact, the thing that has been most affected in recent years is traffic. If there is a helicopter that can adapt to various complex conditions, it will definitely be very popular."
"Hey, I hope the cost is not too exaggerated!"
ps: On the last day of the month, don’t forget to vote!