scientific objectives of the 35th indian … name/number response of sub-auroral ionosphere to the...

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE 35th INDIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA (2015-16)

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences /Climate Change

Project Name/Number Geophysical Studies in Polar Regions

Discipline Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences /Climate Change

Location (Site Name, Latitude, Longitude)

Maitri and Bharati

Principal Investigator Indian Institute of Geomagnetism -Navi Mumbai S Gurubaran : [email protected] A K Sinha: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To determine the substorm onset and location from Antarctic observations.

2. Finding the time delay in substorm onset at Maitri and Bharati.

3. Finding the extent of the substorm and the possible responsible parameters.

4. Examine the auroral westward electrojet at Maitri and Bharati using Magnetometer data.

5. To examine the consequence of interplanetary conditions on the Auroral Substorm Absorption (ASA) events over sub-auroral latitude.

6. Study of substorm associated dayside CNA and simultaneous pc5 pulsations in geomagnetic field variations.

7. To identify the global signatures in atmospheric electrical parameters and distinguish atmospheric, ionospheric and magnetospheric signatures in the surface electrical parameters with the goal of evaluating the electrical response of the atmosphere to magnetospheric influences.

8. To monitor the declining strength of the total magnetic Field ‘F’ observed over the last few decades in the Southern Hemisphere, especially over the Antarctic continent and understand the underlying processes responsible for this feature.

9. To study the dynamics of the Earth’s crust in the Queen Maud Land area of Schirmarcher Oasis and Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica.

10. To study the mass balance and ice dynamics of the Nivlisen ice shelf in Antarctica

mailto:[email protected]


Project Name/Number Response of Sub-Auroral Ionosphere to the Space-Weather Events-I

Discipline Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences /Climate Change


Maitri

Principal Investigator National Physical Laboratory 1, New Delhi & ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean

Research2, Goa Rupesh M. Das1- [email protected] Sachchidanand Singh1 - [email protected] & Shailendra Saini2 - [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Study the response of sub-auroral ionospheric region to the geomagnetic sub-storm events.

2. Investigation of solar wind – thermospheric – magnetospheric – ionospheric coupling process over sub-auroral region during adverse space weather conditions.

Project Name/Number Aerosol radiation forcing over the Antarctica region: impact of transported BC and dust aerosol and its morphology and mineralogical content-II

Discipline Meterology & Atmospheric Sciences /Climate Change


Maitri Bharati and Voyage

Principal Investigator National Physical Laboratory 1, New Delhi & ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean

Research 2, Goa Rupesh M. Das1- [email protected] Sachchidanand Singh1 - [email protected] and Anoop K. Tiwari2- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To characterize the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric aerosol particles from the pristine environment of Antarctica

2. Estimation of aerosol radiative forcing using Aerosol Optical Depth, Radiation Flux in the UV and BroadBand and measurements of Absorbing aerosol (BC).

3. Assess the impact of aerosols and its morphology and mineralogical content on radiation budget of polar regions.





Project Name/Number Observation of Meteorological Parameter, Solar Radiation and Ozone-I

Discipline Meterology & Atmospheric Sciences /Climate Change


Bharati

Principal Investigator Indian Meteorological Department, Director General, New Delhi

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Further enhancement of Class-I Surface observatory, installation of automatic snow gauge.

2. Installation of new AWS, surface Ozone and Ozonesonde measurements.

Project Name/Number Observation of Meteorological Parameter & Ozone Observation-II

Discipline Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences / Climate Change

Location (Site Name, Latitude,Longitude)

Maitri

Principal Investigator Indian Meteorological Department, Director General, New Delhi

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Study of Antarctic weather and climate; study of Antarctic Ozone and Solar radiation.

2. Monitoring surface ozone variations and column Aerosol studies.

Project Name/Number Reactive Trace Gases and their linkages to Marine Biogeochemistry



Maitri and Bharati

Principal Investigator Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune & ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean

Research, Goa

Anoop Mahajan1 [email protected] and Rahul Mohan2- [email protected]


Main Activity/ Remarks 1) To make measurements of reactive halogen species (IO, BrO, I2, OIO and OClO) and determine their impact on: a) Ozone depletion in the troposphere and stratosphere. b) The oxidising capacity in the remote Southern Ocean and Antarctic atmosphere, including ozone depletion, HOx and NOx ratio changes. c) Mercury and DMS oxidation and changes to their lifetime. d) Formation of new particles through iodine oxide coagulation

2) Measure the photolysis dependant fluxes of

NOx and HCHO and biological emissions of halogen species over the snowpack and sea ice.

Project Name/Number Ionizing Radiation at Aviation Altitude in Relation to GCR and Space Weather Events



ALCL flight

Principal Investigator ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean

Research, Goa Anand K. Singh : [email protected] & Shailendra Saini: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Monitoring of ionizing radiation at aviation altitude in Antarctica.

Project Name/Number Measurements of Atmospheric Black Carbon (BC) and GHGs at Antarctica on a Long-Term Basis



Bharati

Principal Investigator National Remote Sensing Centre,Hyderabad Biswadip Gharai: [email protected] Mahesh Pathakoti- [email protected] Prijith S.S- [email protected] & Shivali Verma- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Estimation of background concentration of CO2 at Bharati, Antarctica on a continuous basis for a long-term period (5 years).




2. Identifying the changes in seasonal and daily amplitudes of CO2 against boundary layer height from high vertical resolution of COSMIC-Radio Occultation (RO) data.

3. Identification of source processes leading to black carbon loading over Antarctic region.

4. Measurements of BC concentration on snow to understand the BC deposition over Antarctica.

5. In-situ measurements on Aerosol Optical Depth, total columnar ozone & water vapour and comparative study against satellite observations.

Project Name/Number Study of Polar Sea Ice and Ice Shelf Dynamics Using Satellite Data, In-situ Observations and Numerical Models.



Maitri, Bharati and Voyage

Principal Investigator Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad Jayaprasad [email protected] Ram Rajak D - [email protected]; Raj Kumar Kamaljit Singh- [email protected] Maya Suryavanshi, Monika Gupta and Sandip R. Oza-: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks [a] Polar Sea Ice studies: Technique development for near-real time

sea-ice condition assessment to be used for near real time sea ice advisory to optimum voyage route selection.

Estimation and assessment of sea-ice type, thickness and fraction.

Measurements of air temperature, wind speed, SST in high latitude oceans along with cloud/fog conditions.

[b] Polar ice-sheet/ice-shelf studies: Validation of Microwave remote sensing

signatures of land/sea ice features in the context of RISAT-1, Resource Sat-2 and SARAL missions.

Aerial / Field surveys for the identified locations of areas vulnerable deformation (Hot Spots)

Measurement of surface-/air-temperatures


over the ice-shelf and ice sheet area. Measuring sub-surface profile using Ground

Penetrating Radar (GPR) for estimation of snow depth and ice thickness form the ice-sheet and ice shelf area including Amery Ice-shelf.

Mapping the Research stations and Surroundings with High resolution satellite data.

Crevasse Area Detection for convoy routes from RISAT-1 fine resolution datasets.

Project Name/Number Temporal and Spatial Variations of Meteorological Parameters, Energy Fluxes and study of Ice Sheet Dynamics using Remote Sensing and In situ Measurements.



Maitri

Principal Investigator Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment , Chandigarh H. S. Gusain - [email protected] Kamal Kant Singh- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Study of spatial and temporal variation of energy fluxes in shelf and continental ice sheet.

2. Study of ice sheet velocity using remote sensing and in situ measurements.

3. Thickness mapping along the grounding line using GPR and remote sensing techniques.

4. Mapping of crevasse vulnerable zones and probable shelf ice break.

Project Name/Number Atmospheric Studies using Moveable Atmospheric Radar for Antarctica.



Maitri

Principal Investigator ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research ,Goa & S V University, Tirupati K Satheesan: [email protected] T Narayana Rao: [email protected]




Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Use radar observations of atmospheric structure and turbulence, in the polar troposphere and lower stratosphere, to improve and validate models of air transport, particularly in relation to vertical transport and mixing, in different meteorological conditions. 2. Extend possibilities to utilize radar measurements of ice-cloud layers in the polar summer mesosphere to improve understanding of middle atmosphere dynamics and composition on a global scale.

Project Name/Number Climate Change Research and Space Weather Studies



Maitri, Bharati and Voyage

Principal Investigator Space Physics Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram. S. Suresh Babu- [email protected], G. Ramkumar- [email protected], R.K. Choudhary- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Study of long term changes in the physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosols in polar atmosphere, quantify the effect of long range transport, and estimate radiative impact.

2. Estimate snow scavenging of aerosols and deposition of soot in ice and to study the physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosols in Snow and the corresponding changes in snow albedo.

3. Quantify the anthropogenic influence in Antarctic atmosphere to delineate local and long-range transport.

4. Investigate the Atmospheric boundary layer characteristics and vertical flux of energy and momentum.

5. Study of vertical distribution of aerosols, water vapor and clouds.

6. Vertical distribution of ozone, its temporal variation and role of chemistry and dynamics in its variability.

7. To study the dynamical coupling between troposphere and stratosphere through planetary and gravity waves.

8. To understand the exchange process across the polar tropopause by measuring vertical profiles of ozone.

Project Name/Number Study of Long Path Radio Wave Propagation Characteristics and Theoretical Simulation of Ionospheric Perturbations from Indian Antarctic Station Bharati.



Bharati

Principal Investigator Indian Centre for Space Physics, Kolkata Sandip K. Chakrabarti- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks The objective of the project is to understand propagation characteristics of Very Low Frequency (frequency 3-30kHz) radio signals over very long path which is almost over the ocean. The observational time is chosen as summer period of the southern hemisphere and the receiving place will be solar illuminated for 24 hours for almost couple of months. In the first attempt during 2007-2008, Indian Centre for Space Physics (ICSP) successfully recorded VLF signals from Indian transmitter VTX (frequency 18.2 kHz, 500KW) in Maitri station for around six weeks. This was the first attempt from ICSP to detect the signal from India transmitter VTX from a distance more than 10000 km. A very stable diurnal variation of signal amplitude with less interference among different waveguide modes was obtained.

Project Name/Number Study of snow melt/freeze dynamics in Antarctica using space based and ground based observations



Bharati and Maitri

Principal Investigator National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad Ms Rajashree V [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks To develop the operational products in cryosphere for Antarctica under National Information System for Climate & Environment Studies (NICES) programme.


To collect field data to identify snow& ice conditions.

Biology and Environmental Science

Project Name/Number Environmental Monitoring and Health of Indian Antarctic Stations in Pursuit of Antarctica-Treaty-System and it’s Governance.

Discipline Biology and Environmental Science


Bharati and Maitri

Principal Investigator ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research , Goa & Amity University, New Delhi Anoop Kumar Tiwari- [email protected] Tanu Jindal- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To monitor the environment through various indicators in and around research stations (Maitri and Bharati) in Antarctica

2. To improve environmental health of Maitri station by installing new system and tuning old systems.

Project Name/Number Multi-year measurements of mercury in the Antarctic environment: assessing trends in global emissions, fate and transport of mercury, and bioaccumulation in the Antarctic.



Maitri

Principal Investigator Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad & ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa Asif Qureshi- [email protected] Anoop Kumar Tiwari- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Long-term (multi-year) measurements of mercury in the Antarctic environment, including air, water and biota.

2. Analysis of temporal trends in observations. 3. Assessing the changes in global emissions,

fate and transport characteristics of mercury, including possible effects of climate change.

Project Name/Number Long-term monitoring of Wildlife and its Habitats in Antarctic and Southern Indian Ocean



Bharati and Maîtri

Principal Investigator Wildlife Institute of India , Dehradun K. Sivakumar- [email protected] and S. Sathyakumar- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Monitor indicator species such as penguins and seabirds in the Indian sector of operation in Antarctica using satellite telemetry and genetic sampling. 2. To assess habitat use by the tagged individuals and determine key habitats for the species. 3. To monitor any changes in the movement patterns over years correlated with climate change. 4. Mapping of distribution pattern of ice-breeding seals at Larsemann Hills and India Bay. 5. Develop a long-term monitoring for wildlife in Indian sector of operation in Antarctica.

Project Name/Number Studies on Diversity of Bryophytes of Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica



Bharati

Principal Investigator Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata Devendra Singh- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Survey, collection, identification and study of species distribution of bryophytes.

2. Bryo-floral documentation with discovery of new species, new records, endemic elements, etc.

3. Preparation of identification manual/ flora comprising key to the families, genera and species, taxonomic descriptions with colour photographs/line drawing illustrations.

4. Comparison on the existing flora with the flora of other Antarctic and alpine regions of the Indian Himalayas.

5. Carry out phytosociological studies to

understand vegetation pattern and structure.

Project Name/Number Measurement of Radiation Level due to Cosmic Rays and Terrestrial Radiation at and around Bharati Station, Antarctica



Bharati

Principal Investigator Bhabha Atomics Research Centre, Mumbai A K Bakshi- [email protected] Rupali Pal- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Measurement of radiation level due to cosmic rays and terrestrial radiation at and around Bharati Station, Antarctica using on-line and passive dosimeters.

Human Phsiology & Medicine

Project Name/Number Effect of Yogic practices at Antarctica

Discipline Human Phsiology & Medicine


Maitri

Principal Investigator Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences, New Delhi M.Saha- [email protected] K.Halder- [email protected] A. Pathak - [email protected] & T. Chospel- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Introduction of yoga practices to Antarctica Expedition team members in order to improve their health and efficiency.

To enhance the emotional wellbeing and coping

skills for facilitating psychophysiological adaptation in expeditioners through integrated yoga practice



Earth Science, Glaciology and Global Change

Project Name/Number Permanent Seismological and GPS observatory at Maitri, Antarctica

Discipline Earth Science, Glaciology and Global Change


Bharati and Maitri

Principal Investigator CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad Vineet K Gahalaut - [email protected] & J.K.Catherine- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Seismological and geodetic studies in the Antarctica.

Project Name/Number Hydrodynamics of the Indian Ocean sector of coastal Antarctica



Voyage

Principal Investigator ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa Alvarinho J Luis- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Quantifying changes in thermohaline structure with reference to frontal meandering, with special focus on region south of ACC front; Computation of annual upper-ocean heat and salt content in the coastal Antarctica by using expendable probe data and other data; Water mass distribution and their mixing characteristics; Monitoring of geostrophic circulation and transport and its temporal variation across the region between Africa and Antarctica; Summer fresh water thickness resulting from sea ice melting along the meridional transect in the coastal Antarctica; and Construction of empirical models of upper-ocean temperature and dynamic topography from satellite altimeter data to infer baroclinic transports.


Project Name/Number Deglaciation pattern and Landform Generation in Central Dronning Maud Land (cDML) Antarctica.



Maitri

Principal Investigator ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa Yogesh Ray- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Glacial and deglacial cycles/history of Schirmacher Oasis after Last Glacial maximum (LGM). Sediment generation processes in the polar region.

Project Name/Number Project I: Monitoring of Dakshin Gangotri glacier snout and snow accumulation / ablation on parts of ice sheet and ice shelf in central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Project II: Provenance and depositional environment of lake sediments from Larsemann Hills area and Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica vis-a-vis geochemistry, heavy minerals and sedimentology. Project III: Glaciological Studies in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica for assessing the impact of climate change. Project IV: Relationship between the paragneiss and orthogneiss in the Larsemann Hills, Antarctica.



Project I-Maitri Project II-Maitri, Bharati and Voyage Project III-Bharati and Voyage Project IV-Maitri and Bharati


Principal Investigator Geological Survey of India, Faridabad Project I P. K. Shrivastava- [email protected] Project II P. K. Shrivastava- [email protected] Project III P. K. Shrivastava- [email protected] Project IV Dr. Joy Gopal Ghosh- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Project I- Glaciological studies in parts of the central Dronning Maud Land (cDML), East Antarctica for providing inputs towards a better understanding of climate change. Project II- 1. Characterization and quantification of geochemistry, clay mineralogy and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) for evaluating their response to changing climate. 2. Assessment of grain size parameters and heavy minerals from lake sediments for provenance study. Project III- 1. To study snow accumulation /ablation by monitoring of established stake network over Antarctic Ice Sheet. 2. To assess the impact of climate change in long term. Project IV- 1. To determine the antiquity of the paragneiss vis-à-vis orthogneiss in the Larsemann Hills, Antarctica

2. To relate and date granite magmatism with major deformation events

Project Name/Number Paleoclimatic Studies from Antarctic Coastal Areas (Larsemann Hills and Schirmacher Oasis) based on terrestrial and marine records






Bharati and Maitri

Principal Investigator Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany , Lucknow Sunil Bajpai : [email protected] Ratan Kar: [email protected] Pawan Govil: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Study of different geomorphic features, identification of potential sampling sites and collection of core sediments.

Identification of lateral/recessional moraines and establishing the chronology of glacial events in the Schirmacher Oasis and Larsemann Hills by using TL/OSL dating technique.

Paleoclimatic reconstruction of Quaternary Period from Antarctic coastal lakes and marine sediment cores.

To understand the paleoproductivity in the selected sediment core samples

Deciphering the paleoclimatic changes on the basis of palynological studies.

Ice shelf advancement and retreat during the Quaternary Period.

Project Name/Number Hydrographic Survey – Off Princess Astrid Coast and Larseman Hills



Bharati and Maitri

Principal Investigator National Hydrographic Office, Dehradun

Main Activity/ Remarks Continued data collection towards Bathymetric and Physical Oceanographic database.

Detailed study of propagation of sound waves at various locations in India Bay and determine the best fit average sound velocity for optimum performance of various sensors to be deployed for Hydrographic work.

Delineation of coastline adjoining India Bay and crosscheck with the coast lining delineated during earlier expeditions and study changes caused by environmental conditions.


Production of INT Chart 9050 and its subsequent updation.

Produce charts as required for Larsemann Hills area.

Project Name/Number Micrometeorite Collection and Investigations from Pristine Environments of Antarctica



Maitri

Principal Investigator National Institute of Oceanography ,Goa M. Shyam Prasad: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks The aim of the project is to investigate, identify and characterize the cosmic dust that would be collected from the icy continent of Antarctica and estimate the flux of micrometeorites on earth. Identify the various phases of minerals, textures and elements present in the micrometeorites. This would help us understand the earth crossing meteoroid complex. Since the contribution to the dust is expected from both cometary and asteroidal materials, we would have a window to understand that various mineralogical and chemical phases that comprise the cometary and asteroidal materials and these investigations would add effectively to the inventory of solar system materials. Cosmic dust offers us a wider range of asteroidal/cometary materials as compared with the conventional meteorites, therefore the study of such a large concentration of micrometeorites would help understand extraterrestrial material more comprehensively. Their oxygen isotopic compositions in conjunction with their major, minor and trace element compositions would help in understand mass fractionation of the materials, determine their thermal histories and more importantly provide a window to understand primitive, early solar system processes. Aqueous alteration of cosmic dust offers

possibilities of understanding the origin of water in the solar system.

Project Name/Number Large scale Topographical Mapping and Geophysical studies for Neo-tectonics & Monitoring Inter-plate movement of Antarctica plate with respect to the Indian Plate



Bharati & Maitri

Principal Investigator Survey of India, Dehradun S. B. Sharma :[email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Establishment of horizontal and vertical reference frame for detail mapping and scientific activities.

Large scale mapping of Schirmacher Oasis and Larsemann Hills regions of Antarctica.

To monitor inter-plate movement of the continent (in Schirmacher Oasis and Larsemann Hills) with respect to Indian plate.

Studies for neo-tectonic activities of the region.

Project Name/Number A proposal for Geological investigations south of Indian Bharati Station to elucidate sub-ice geology and to establish the affinity of western Princes Elizabeth Land (PEL) with appropriate cratonic block



Bharati

Principal Investigator Delhi University Naresh C. Pant- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Study of exposed lithologies around Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL) during field work.

Collection of appropriate hard rock samples from the selected sites.

Detailed petrological approach to comment upon subice geology in the western margin of the PEL.

Mineral chemical analysis approach to

achieve characterization of the rock samples.

Bulk Geochemistry to understand the geodynamics and genesis.

Isotopic and Chemical dating to estimate age constraints.

To infer the affinity of this region between the Indian and the Australian cratonic blocks

Student Participation

Project Name/Number Optimization of resources for Indian Antarctic Expeditions through Inventory Management Techniques

Discipline Student Participation


Maitri

Principal Investigator Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi & ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research , Goa Shivaani M.V. (Student) P.K. Jain (PI)- [email protected] Mirza Javed Beg (Co-PI)- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks To study the dynamics of operations in Antarctica with the objective of realignment of processes and strategies for Operations Management to ensure timelines and desired efficiency. In other words optimisation of resources for Antarctica Research.

Project Name/Number Tracking Motion of Antarctic Plate and Total Electron content using GPS data.

Discipline Student Participation


Bharati

Principal Investigator Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Aarti Dwivedi (Student) Mohammad Israil (PI)- [email protected] &

Main Activity/ Remarks To study the electrical structure beneath the Larsemann Hills.


scientific objectives of the 35th indian … name/number response of sub-auroral ionosphere to the...

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