Annual Report 2007-2008 - Ministry Of Earth Sciences

Ministry of Earth Sciences, Annual Report 2007-08diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiac abnormalities, etc. in lengthy expeditions.2.3 Arctic ExpeditionIndia has a strong presence in the Antarctica for the past 27 years. However, a wide gap exists inour knowledge about the Arctic. This is infact, hindering a much-needed bi-hemispherical approachto polar sciences. The Arctic Ocean and the surrounding regions are one of the most importantareas that not only govern the earth’s climate but have also faithfully recorded the past climatichistory. The region is also an excellent harbinger of future changes, as the signals or clues thatsignify climate change are much stronger in the Arctic region than anywhere on the planet. Thisregion has always been significant to the Indian subcontinent due to the probable tele-connectionbetween the northern polar region and Indian monsoon intensity, which is critical for our agriculturaloutput and economy. However, the exact mechanism by which this tele-connection exists is stillopen to debate and is a topic of the ongoing research. India embarked upon Arctic research bylaunching her first 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 atNy-Alesund in Spitsbergen island of Norway. This first Indian Arctic expedition has marked abeginning of long-term scientific research by Indian scientists in yet another arena of global scientificcollaborative research in the difficult Polar Regions. The five - member interdisciplinary and interinstitutionalteam of scientists of the first Arctic Expedition, drawn from NCAOR, Goa; CCMB,Hyderabad; IITM, Pune; and Lucknow University, has initiated three projects on Atmospheric Studies,Arctic Microbes and Earth Sciences. In the second phase, four more projects will be initiated in thenext early spring in February, 2008.Launching of first Indian Arctic Expedition by Hon’ble Minister of Earth Sciences8