The Antarctic Research Programme, which was initiated in 1981, has taken the shape of a major national programme that has a distinct multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary approach. So far 25 scientific expeditions have been launched on a regular basis.
In addition, three expeditions to the Southern Oceans for carrying out research in the thrust areas of polar science including a Weddel Sea Expedition and Krill Expedition for assessment of Krill Resources in Antarctic waters, were also undertaken. The Indian station Maitri situated in the Central Droning Maud land of east Antarctica has provided a platform to more than 1,500 personnel drawn from about 75 national laboratories, institutes, universities, survey and service organisations to conduct experiments in all major disciplines of polar sciences.
This is an outstanding example of networking national facilities and expertise. The expeditions to Antarctica are organised every year by National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) an autonomous institution of the Ministry set up at Goa.
ORV Sagar Kanya also conducted experiments in the Southern Ocean. In the 25th Indian Antarctic Expedition which left from Cape Town in the last week of December 2005, two students and one Scientist representing a private research centre, participated for the first time. Dakshin Gangotri Glacier, which has been monitored by Indian Scientists for the last 23 years in Antarctica has been declared as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) by the governing body of the Antarctic Treaty in its XXVIII Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) held in Stockholm in June 2006. An Ice Core Laboratory to study the ice cores brought from the Antarctica, has become fully operational at NCAOR, Goa.
Ocean Observations and Information Services (OOIS)
Change is believed to be one of the potential factor for causing variation in the weather pattern resulting in droughts, floods, and extreme heat conditions in various parts of the world. The understanding on climate variability is an imperative need for India as monsoon plays an important role in the economy.
Although, the oceans play an important role in the climate change, the symbiotic connection between ocean and atmosphere particularly in terms of exchange of heat and mass is not well understood. Recognising the importance of information and knowledge of the seas, an integrated programme on Ocean Observations and Information Services has been launched targeting at,
i.Development of a wide range of ocean-atmospheric and coastal models
ii.Generation of algorithms for retrieval of satellite parameters
iii.Augmentation of ocean observations including in-situ and satellite measurements
iv.Operationalisation of ocean advisory services
The OOIS consists of four major components viz., Ocean Observing System, Ocean Information Services, Ocean Modelling and Dynamics (INDOMOD) and Satellite Coastal Oceanographic Research (SATCORE).
The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, co-sponsored by WMO, UNEP and ICSU, is an internationally organised system for gathering, coordinating, quality control and distribution of marine and oceanographic data and derived products of common worldwide importance and utility as defined by the requirements of the broadest possible spectrum of user groups.
It is recognised that one of the most important means of implementation of GOOS is through the development of regional alliances, which are able to focus on issues of common national or regional interest. Under the National Data Buoy Programme (NDBP) being implemented by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), 30 moored data buoys were deployed in the Indian seas both in shallow and deep waters to cater to the needs of real time data in respect of India Meteorological Department, Coast Guard and supply of data to a variety of applications like port activities, harbour/offshore-structure development, satellite data validation, environmental monitoring, climate studies, etc.
The data buoys are now being developed indigenously to meet the requirement of additional buoys. Besides, India is coordinating the International ARGO Project of the Indian Ocean that would provide periodic profiles of temperature and salinity of the upper ocean up to a depth of 2000 metres to understand the structure and dynamics of the upper ocean that influence climate. India has assumed the leadership in the region and is responsible for deployment of ARGOs in the entire Indian Ocean. A Regional ARGO data Centre has also been established at INCOIS, Hyderabad for archival and dissemination of ARGO Data. During the year a set of six argo data products are being made available through INCOIS web site besides dissemination of processed data for the floats.
India has led the establishment of a regional alliance Indian Ocean component of Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS) and achieved the leadership in Indian Ocean for ocean observations. This is a major milestone towards understanding the oceanic processes of the Indian Ocean and their application for the benefit of all people in the region. IOGOOS is intended to elevate the Indian Ocean from one of the least studied to one of the most studied of the world's major oceans, with a real emphasis on the link between societal and scientific issues. India is an elected Chairman of Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission. India is an elected chairman of IOGOOS that has 24 members/associate members from 13 countries and the IOC. The IOGOOS Secretariat has been established at INCOIS, Hyderabad. So far India has deployed 107 ARGO floats out of planned 150 floats during Tenth Plan period.
Ocean Information Servives (OIS)
Under the programme on Ocean Information Services, near real-time data and data products such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories delimiting features like upwelling zones, maps, eddies, chlorophyll, suspended sediment load, etc., consultancy services to the Central Government, States, corporate sector industries, are being made available to the user agencies under one roof. The concerted efforts of our Scientists from Ocean Development, Space and Fishery Science over the last five years have culminated in a unique service to provide reliable and timely potential fishing zone advisories using satellite data to the fishing community of the entire coastline of the country in a mission mode. Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) Advisories are disseminated thrice a week to over 225 nodes located in various states, viz. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Lakshadweep as well as Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Frequent and intense interactions between the scientists and fishing community at the fishing harbours, and use of a wide range of media such as fax, telephone, electronic display boards, satellite radio and internet have ensured that these advisories provided in the local languages become part of the value chain of the fishing community. A dynamic website has also been established at INCOIS for dissemination of a variety of application (www.incois.gov.in). In addition, INCOIS has been providing Ocean State Forecast on experimental basis to various stake holder.
Currents 3 parameters, i.e., Waves, Swell and Tidal currents are being made available through INCOIS web site. Currently PFZ information is also being disseminated through electronic display boards instituted at 20 local beaches and dissemination through a wide range of media: print, Newspaper, TV, Radio, etc.
Ocean Dynamics & Modelling and Satellite Coastal and eanographic Research (INDOMOD & SATCORE)
During the Tenth Five-Year Plan, INDOMOD and SATCORE and Ocean Observations programmes have been integrated in a focused way towards development of models. Accordingly, selective deployment of drifting buoys, current meter arrays and Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) surveys are planned for generation of surface oceanographic and meteorological data. These observations are intended primarily for validation of ocean atmospheric models. A set of 3 current meter arrays has been established in the equatorial Indian Ocean to acquire long term time series data for understanding the climate variability. This endeavour is being executed with the help of 10 reputed natural pioneer Research/ Academic institutes.
Under the project on INDOMOD, several models have been developed for study of open and coastal ocean processes and coupled ocean-atmospheric processes. The primary applications of these models are prediction of monsoon variability, storm surges associated with cyclones, waves, biological productivity and coastal processes.
Under the programme on Satellite Coastal and Oceanographic Research, algorithms and software are developed for atmospheric correction of Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) data, bio-geo-chemical parameters, OCM data processing, etc., and validation of experiments. A dynamic web site of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) with Web GIS and query facility was developed and implemented for Ocean State Forecast. Some of the ocean atmosphere models developed under this project have already been implemented.
Antarctic Treaty-India's 3rd Research Base at Antarctica
India was privileged to host the 30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in May 2007 for the first time ever since India joined the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and was granted the consultative status.
Amongst other significant outcomes of this meeting, was the ATCM's acceptance of the Indian proposal for a new Indian Research Base at the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, which paved way for India to proceed with final design of the 3rd station and its construction at the Larsemann Hills, Antarctia.
The ATCM has adopted two important Resolutions regarding tourism - one concerning ship-based tourism in Antarctic Treaty Area, and the second associated with the issue related to permanent land based infrastructures for tourism in Antarctica with a condition that Parties should discourage or decline to authorize tour operators that use vessels carrying more than 500 passengers from making any landings in Antarctica in addition to regulating the numbers of vessels and visitors landings at any one time at a site, to one and hundred respectively.
Ice-core laboratory: The establishment of National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) at Goa as an exclusive polar research laboratory by the Ministry is a reflection of India's sustained and far-fetched interests in Antarctic science and protection of its environment. The Centre has been designated as the focal coordinating agency for the Indian Antarctic program and is responsible for maintaining the Indian permanent station, 'Maitri' in Antarctica. The Centre has helped to consolidate and focus our scientific activities in the domain of polar sciences and also aims to conduct in-house R&D activities in exclusive areas if ice-ocean - atmosphere interaction & climate modelling, global change & Antarctica, Palaeo-climate & Palaeo-environment and southern ocean oceanography. The ice-core laboratory complex is now operational at the Centre. It will serve as repository of cores both from the Antarctica and the Himalayas. This is being used to infer past climate and environmental changes and will help the scientists to refine the climate models. An Earth Station has been set up at Maitri with a connectivity of 2mbps line for communication with mainland, India.
Expedition to Arctic: India already has a strong presence in the Antarctica for the past 27 years. However, despite the scientific and logistics expertise gained by the country over the years in Antarctica, a wide gap exists in our knowledge of the Arctic, hindering a much-needed bi-hemispherical approach to polar sciences. The Arctic Ocean and the surrounding regions are one of the most important areas that not only govern the earth's climate but have also faithfully recorded its past climatic history. The region is also an excellent harbinger of future change, because the signals or clues that signify climate change are much stronger in the Arctic than elsewhere on the planet. This region has always been significant to the Indian subcontinent due to probable tele-connection between the northern polar region and Indian monsoon intensity, which is critical for our agriculture output and economy. However, the exact mechanism by which this tele-connection exists is still open to debate and is a topic of the ongoing research. In quest for knowledge and pursuit of science, India has recently embarked upon Arctic research by launching first ever scientific expedition to this region under the leadership of Shri Rasik Ravindra, Director, NCAOR, Goa in the first week of August 2007 using the international research facility at Ny-Alesund in Sptilsbergen island of Norway. The five member interdisciplinary and inter-institutional team of scientists of the first Arctic Expedition drawn from NCAOR, Goa; CCMB, Hyderabed; IITM, Pune and Lucknow University; has initiated three projects on Atmospheric Studies, Arctic Microbes and Earth Sciences. In the second phase four more projects have been initiated in the early spring this year with the launch of winter expedition on 29th February, 2008. The name of the Indian Arctic Station is Himadri set up at the base camp in Norway.
The Vessel underwent a major dry-docking now equipped with a new DP System and up-gradation of generators, bow thruster power management system, and a state-of-the-art Multibeam Swath Bathymetric System. Besides, undertaking over 10 cruises for over a period of 140 days at sea, an "Integrated Campaign for Aerosol, Gases & Radiation Budget (ICARB)" under ISRO-GBP for observations over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea was successfully completed through a cruise of more than 50 days with the participation of 29 Scientists/Technical personnel carried out various sample/data collections. For the first time, ORV Sagar Kanya undertook a survey over approximately 600 lines kms. covering 92. sq. kms. for recovery of failed GSLV engine. Three step-on engines S3, S2 and S1 were recovered and many parts of the S4 stage engine/core vehicle were collected from sea bottom. Around 550 diving operations were done along 94 target points. The recovery of GSLV Subsystems from sea is second such attempt in Space history after recovery of Ariane by Europeans Space Agency in 1996.
Wow ! Great info man thank u
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