Annual Report 2009-2010 - Ministry Of Earth Sciences

The GPS data is used for various studies, i.e.
crustal deformation, ionospheric monitoring,
tropospheric water vapour content, etc.
Fig. 4.2: Sediment coring in epishelf lake (E12)
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
conducted experiments to study the behaviour
of ozone and its precursors in marine and polar
boundary layer. Aerosol distribution and their
temporal variation over ocean were also studied.
The Space Application Centre (SAC), IIT Kanpur
and NCAOR studied the impact of anthropogenic
land-based coarse particles on the Antarctic shelf.
Experiments to study short and long-term
variation of ionosphere and the magnetospheric
-ionospheric coupling between high and low
latitudes during space weather events were
conducted by NPL and the Barkattulah University.
For this, a digital Ionosonde system with two cross
delta antennas were installed at Maitri.
4.1.1.2 Earth Sciences
Regional geological mapping over 250 sq km area
was undertaken by the Geological Survey of India.
Geological mapping between latitude 71°59’and
72°07’ South and longitude 02°51’ and 02°28’ East
was carried out in the Gjelsvikfjella mountains
using Norwegian station ‘Troll’ as a base. The area
is entirely covered by rugged peaks and saddles
with the highest peak rising 2000m above m.s.l.
Geological studies/observations were also carried
out in the Zweissel Mountains using helicopter
drop points. A total of 19 drop points were covered
in two days. A total of approximately 150 rock
samples were collected for further petrological,
geochemical and magnetic studies.
Geophysical studies pertaining to seismotectonics
and geodynamical processes between the Antarctic
and the Indian Peninsula, i.e. Continuous GPS
monitoring constitutes a long-term project of NGRI.
(Fig. 4.2)
Survey of India completed the task of large scale
topographical mapping in the Larsemann Hills
Region and continued the geophysical studies
for neo-tectonics and monitoring of inter-plate
movement in the Antarctic region. Large scale
mapping of the designated area in Schirmacher
Oasis on 1:5000 scale and contour interval of 5m
was completed.
Under a project on building late quaternary
Palaeoclimatic history of Schirmacher and
Larsemann Oasis, East Antarctica, Birbal Sahni
Institute of Palaeobotany (BSIP) carried out a
multi-proxy approach based on lake sediments
collected from the lakes in these areas. The Institute
collected moss peat, fossil soil, varves samples to
establish an absolute chronology by C 14 and AMS
dating technique.
4.1.1.3 Glaciology
During the year 2009, NCAOR collected on surface
and sub-surface snow samples from the coastal and
inland regions of East Antarctica to study the spatial
and temporal variability in snow accumulation
and its characteristics from the ice edge to inland
polar plateau region as also to evaluate the natural
background of aerosols accumulated in the
Antarctic snow, their source and the processes
involved in controlling the biogeochemical cycling
of various species. (Fig. 4.3)
Geological Survey of India embarked upon a longterm
project on delineation of the Land–Ice Sea
(LIS) interface (Hinge-line) around Schirmacher
Oasis, Central Dronning Maud Land (CDML), East
Antarctica.
18 Ministry of Earth Sciences : Annual Report 2009-10