Chapter: Science & Technology

Topic: NCAOR: The Indian Gateway To Polar Regions

Q. What is NCAOR?

Ans. National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) is the nodal agency coordinating and implementing the Indian Polar (Arctic, Antarctic and southern Ocean) Program. It is the only institute in the country that has the capability to archive & process ice cores from Polar Regions.

Q. What are the achievements of India in the field of scientific expeditions to Antarctica and Arctic?

Ans. India has successfully launched 30 scientific expeditions to Antarctica and 5 expeditions each to Arctic and Southern Ocean till now. In the year 2010-11, NCAOR accomplished t h e first eve r Indian expedition to South Pole. Apart From Maitri in Antarctica, India now has a research Base – Himadri – in Arctic. The first phase of the construction of new research base in eastern Antarctica, Bharati, is complete and station is likely to be commissioned in 2012-13. The process for acquisitions of a new Ice Breaker Polar research Vessel is in advanced stage.

Q. What are the basic objectives of Indian Research Programmes of Antarctica and Arctic?

Ans. The Research programmes include Ice Core Studies, Remote Sensing, Polar Lake Studies, Climate Change Studies, Southern Ocean Processes, Exclusive Economic zone Survey, Legal continental Shelf Mapping, Environmental Impact Assessment and Microbial Biodiversity & Biogeochemistry.

Q. Which Institutes are facilitating in Indian Research Programmes of Antarctica and Arctic?

Ans. The Institution gives facilities like National Antarctic Data Centre, Earth Station – Satellite Link with Maitri, Digital repository for Antarctic publications, Ice core processing and repository complex , Oceanographic Research Vessel – Sagar Kanya, State of the art laboratory and library facilities. It provides major scientific instruments for various activities. They are Elemental Analyzer, Ion Chromatograph, Gel Documentation System, Scanning Electron Microscope, Total Organic Carbon Analyzer, Polymerase Chain Reaction System, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer, High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer.

Q. What are the new initiatives of Indian scientific expeditions to Antarctica and Arctic?

Ans. Second phase of construction of India’s Third Permanent Research Station Bharati at Larsemann Hills is likely to be completed by 2012-13 Season.

New initiatives in Geotraces & Biogeochemistry studies in all three Poles (Arctic, Antarctic and Himalaya) will result in better understanding of Ocean processes, global climate, biogeochemical cycles and marine productivity that is critical for society to respond effectively to the challenges of climate change, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and for the sustainable use of marine resources. They will be carried out during 12th Five Year Plan.

Q. What is GEOTRACES and scientist of how many countries are participating in it?

Ans. GEOTRACES is an international programme which aims to improve the understanding of biogeochemical cycles and large-scale distribution of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine environment. Scientists from approximately 30 nations have been involved in the programme, which is designed to study all major ocean basins over the next decade.

Q. What do you understand by Cryosphere program of NCAOR?

Ans. Under the Cryosphere program, NCAOR will initiate multidisciplinary glaciological studies on snow, ice, and permafrost in Arctic, Antarctica as also in selected glaciers in Himalaya to fill the gaps information especially in the field of snow-ice chemistry, dating of the ice cores and palaeo-climate studies. The study will generate long term data essential for coming to a conclusion on health of glaciers and thereby the impacts of climate change.

Q. What do you understand by Marin e Geo physics Programme of NCAOR?

Ans. Marine Geo p h ysics Prog ramme will un rave l t h e bed rock geological feat u re s in Andaman Nicobar area, post tsunami tectonic changes, evolution of Indian Ocean, geophysical anomalies in Indian Ocean region etc.

India is in the process of claiming Legal Continental Shelf and the second partial submission for an additional area of 0.6 million square km is already under way for submission. India already made its first partial submission for an extended continental shelf of approx. 0.6 million square km in May 2009.

Q. What are the main objectives of Southern Ocean Expeditions of NCAOR?

Ans. Southern Ocean Expeditions will be launched to understand complex ocean fronts , biological diversity and biogeochemical processes in the oceans south of 33 degree latitudes in southern hemisphere. The expedition is open to all Indian universities, national organizations and research institutions. Scientists staying in Antarctica for longer duration will be able to keep track of scientific publications from across the world as connectivity with Antarctica will be strengthened. Data transfer and voice transmission between Antarctica and India will improve by increasing band width. This would enhance the data transfer capabilities and update the scientists.

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