SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE 36th INDIAN SCIENTIFIC ... · 4. Examine the auroral westward...

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE 36th INDIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA (2016-17)

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Project Name/Number MAS-1 Geophysical Studies in Polar Regions

Discipline Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

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.

To study the mass balance and ice dynamics of the

Nivlisen ice shelf in Antarctica

Project Name/Number Project-I-MAS-2 Study of melt/freeze dynamics in Antarctica and sea ice characterisation using space based and ground based observations Project I: MAS-9 Measurements of Atmospheric Black Carbon (BC), GHGs and solar radiation fluxes at Antarctica on a long-term basis

Project III: MAS 12 Image measurements of visibility to investigate atmospheric parameters Project IV: MAS 13 Study on long term precipitation over Antarctica using surface and space-based measurements



Project I- Maitri and Bharati Project II: Bharati Project III: Bharati Project IV: Bharati

Principal Investigator National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad Project I- Rajashree V Bothale: [email protected] Project II- Biswadip Gharai : [email protected] Project III- Alok Taori: [email protected] Project IV- M V Ramana: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Project -I Collection of snow density, wetness,

temperature, melt freeze status at alternate day interval on the accessible polar ice near Bharati station from November onwards to understand spatio – temporal variations in the snow properties over sheet ice.

Profiling over sea ice to measure thickness and

correlating with satellite data.

To monitor the ice shelves for their melt/freeze status with detailed study of Amery shelf and shelf near Maitri.

To collect snow characteristics at Antarctica

which include melt / freeze status, snow density, temperature, depth, liquid water content, etc., using GPR, snow fork at few accessible field locations in order to understand/verify the variations in backscatter response and to correlate with field conditions.

Project II: 1. Estimation of background concentration of CO2,

CH4, and H2O at Bharati, Antarctica on a continuous/seasonal basis for a long-term 5 years; and measurement of GHG’s during the voyage.

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

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

4. Monitoring Atmospheric BC and its seasonal changes in response to prevailing meteorology and long range transport.

5. Measurements of BC concentrations on snow to understand the BC deposition over Antarctica.

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

Direct measurements of narrowband and broadband albedo’s and net energy fluxes at the surface level and monitoring their seasonal and annual variations.

Project III:

1. Estimation of atmospheric visibility in horizontal and vertical (zenith) direction.

2. Estimation of atmospheric extinction in vertical direction and Image recording of an identified snow hill for long term climate study.

3. Highly energetic solar processes (such as flares,

coronal mass ejection inputs MeV range ions at polar latitudes due to open magnetic field lines) excites the atomic and molecular oxygen atoms which due to enhanced magnetic field density results in visible aurora. Such processes are known to have adverse effects on power grids, oil drilling etc, because they modify the earth’s magnetic fields by induction effect. Generally, aurora during summer is difficult to see without special optical instruments. We intend to study the upper atmospheric processes such as aurora and its relation with solar energy.

Project IV: 1. Direct measurements of Antarctic precipitation

features such as the frequency, the phase, and the snowfall rate are proposed in this study for the next 5 years. Continuous ~5 year data is needed to understand the inter-annual variability of precipitation.

2. The rate of atmospheric precipitation over

Antarctica may have important role to global sea level variation via impact on the surface snow and ice accumulation.

Validation of CloudSat retrievals of precipitation over Antarctica.

Project Name/Number MAS-3 Observation of Meteorological Parameter, Solar Radiations & Ozone Observation



Bharati

Principal Investigator Indian Meteorological Department, Director General, New Delhi

Main Activity/ Remarks Regular Meteorological and Ozone observations. Further enhancement of Class-I surface

observatory; installation of automatic snow gauge; installation of new AWS, Surface Ozone and Ozonesonde Measurement.

Project Name/Number MAS-4 Observation of Meteorological Parameter & Ozone Observation



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 MAS-5 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 and Avalanche Study Establishment, Chandigarh H S Gusain: gusain_hs @yahoo.co.in

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

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

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

Project Name/Number MAS-6 Atmospheric Studies using Moveable Atmospheric Radar for Antarctica



Maitri

Principal Investigator ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research & Cochin University of Science and Technology-Goa & Kerala Sourav Chaterjee: [email protected]

K Satheesan: [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.

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 MAS-7 Reactive trace gases and their linkages to marine biogechemistry



Bharati

Principal Investigator

1Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology , Pune & 2ESSO- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean

Research, Goa Anoop S Mahajan1 - [email protected] Rahul Mohan2- [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks To make measurements of reactive halogen species (IO, BrO,I2, OIO and OClO) and determine their impact on: i. Ozone depletion in the troposphere and

stratosphere. ii. The oxidising capacity in the remote

Southern Ocean and Antarctic atmosphere, including ozone depletion, HOx and NOx ratio changes.

iii. Mercury and DMS oxidation and changes to their lifetime.

iv. Formation of new particles through iodine oxide coagulation.

Measure the photolysis dependant fluxes of NOx and HCHO and biological emissions of halogen species over the snowpack and sea ice.

Project Name/Number MAS-8 Climate Change Research and Space Weather Studies



Bharati & Voyage

Principal Investigator Space Physics Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram S. Suresh Babu: [email protected]

Geetha Ramkumar: [email protected]

Raj Kumar Choudhary: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 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.

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.

Quantify the anthropogenic influence in

Antarctic atmosphere to delineate local and long-range transport.

Investigate the Atmospheric boundary layer

characteristics and vertical fluxes of energy and momentum.

Study of vertical distribution of aerosols, water

vapor and clouds.

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

To study the dynamical coupling between

troposphere and stratosphere through planetary and gravity waves.

To understand the exchange process across the

polar tropopause by measuring vertical profiles of ozone.

To characterise the turbulence processes in the

polar troposphere with special emphasis around tropopause.

Project Name/Number MAS-11 Role of long-range transported aerosols on Earth's radiation budget and atmospheric warming over Antarctica



Bharati

Principal Investigator 1Center for Astroparticle Physics and Space Sciences, Bose Institute , West Bengal 2ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research, Goa Sanat Kumar Das1: [email protected] Waliur Rahaman3:[email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Quantification of aerosol induced perturbation of Earth's radiation budget over Antarctica during summer using in-situ observation of optico-physical and chemical properties of aerosols

Estimation of vertical distribution of aerosol heating rate and its contribution towards air temperature in summer at Antarctica using optical properties of aerosols

Simulation of radiative heating caused by transported anthropogenic (BC) and natural (desert dust) aerosols and identification of source regions of dust aerosols from isotopic analysis (Sr and Nd) in collaboration with Dr. Waliur Rahaman, NCAOR, Goa

Biology and Environmental Science

Project Name/Number BES-2 Measurement of Radiation Level due to Cosmic

Rays and Terrestrial Radiation at and around Bharati Station, Antarctica

Discipline Biology and Environmental Science


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.

Project Name/Number BES-3 Foraging ecology and habitat use of avifauna of Antarctica and Southern Indian Ocean with special reference to endemic and threatened species



Maitri, Bharati & Voyage

Principal Investigator Zoological Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Chandrakasan Sivaperuman: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks The avifaunal surveys have three distinct objectives:

To describe the avian community at the Antarctica and Southern Ocean

To study the foraging behaviour and habitat use

of selected bird species

To develop Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for selected bird species based on critical habitat variable

Project Name/Number BES-4 DNA Barcode-based assessment of algal diversity of Antarctica with special focus on the introduced species



Maitri, Bharati & Voyage

Principal Investigator Central University of Punjab,Punjab

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Felix Bast: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To explore selected locations in Antarctica for alien and invasive speciesof algae

2. To assess biodiversity of algae, including freshwater, marine, ice, subaerial, epilithic, endolithic and endophytic algae, photobionts of lichens, epiphytic algae on mosses, phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, from selected locations in Antarctica using DNA barcoding

Project Name/Number BES-5 Isolation of bioprospective microalgal isolates from Antarctica



Maitri & Bharati

Principal Investigator ESSO- National Institute of Ocean Technology,Chennai R. Kirubagaran : [email protected] D. Magesh Peter: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks To collect bio-prospective microalgal strains from Antarctica.

Earth Science, Glaciology and Global Change

Project Name/Number Project I-ESG-1 Hydrodynamics of the Indian Ocean sector of coastal Antarctica Project II-ESG-5 Biogeochemistry and Paleoenvironmental studies of Larsemann Hills, Prydz Bay and Schirmacher Oasis: a past-present conjunctive study Project III-ESG-6 Mass balance, dynamics, and climate of the central Dronning Maud Land coast, East Antarctica (MADICE)

& Bio-geochemical processes associated with supraglacial ecosystems of coastal Antarctica

Discipline Earth Science, Glaciology and Global Change


Project-I:Voyage Project II: Maitri, Bharati & Voyage

Project III: Bharti & Maitri

Principal Investigator ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research, Goa Project I: Alvarinho J. Luis: [email protected] Project II: Rahul Mohan: [email protected] Project III: Thamban Meloth: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks Project I: 1. Quantifying changes in thermohaline structure

with reference to frontal meandering, with special focus on region south of ACC front;

2. Computation of annual upper-ocean heat and salt

content in the coastal Antarctica by using

expendable probe data and other data; 3. Water mass distribution and their mixing

characteristics; 4. Monitoring of geostrophic circulation and

transport and its temporal variation across the

region between Africa and Antarctica; 5. Summer fresh water thickness resulting from sea

ice melting along the meridional transect in the

coastal Antarctica; 6. Construction of empirical models of upper-ocean

temperature and dynamic 7. Topography from satellite altimeter data to infer

baroclinic transports.

Project II: Impact of icebergs and sea-ice on phytoplankton

community and their role in biogeochemical cycles in coastal Antarctica.

Long-term monitoring of Antarctic Lakes to

understand its response to change in climatic conditions.

Paleolimnological investigation of Larsemann Hill

lakes: Understanding the glaciation-deglaciation timing.

Understanding the paleo-environments changes of Prydz Bay: paleo sea-ice variability.

Project III: 1. To understand the current status and dynamics of ice

shelves and evolution of ice rises in the coastal

Dronning Maud Land;

2. To understand the role of ice rises in the evolution and future of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental variables like temperature, precipitation, aerosols, and sea ice conditions during the past using ice core records from ice rises.

3. To study photochemical and microbial processes associated with selected supraglacial ecosystems and their significance in coastal Antarctica.

Project Name/Number ESG-2 Hydrographic Survey – Off Princess Astrid Coast and Larseman Hills



Bharati & Maitri

Principal Investigator National Hydrographic Office,Dehradun [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Continued data collection towards Bathymetric and Physical Oceanographic database.

2. 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.

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

4. Production of INT Chart 9050 and its subsequent updation. Produce charts as required for Larsemann Hills area.

Project Name/Number ESG-4 Large Scale Topographical Mapping and Geophysical Studies for Neo-tectonics & Monitoring Inter-plate Movement of Antarctica Plate w.r.t. Indian Plate.



Bharati & Maitri

Principal Investigator Survey of India, Dehradun Nitin Joshi: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To establish horizontal & vertical ground control points for detail mapping and scientific activities.

2. To carry out large scale mapping of Schirmacher

Oasis and Larsemann Hills Regions of Antarctica. 3. To monitor Inter-plate movement of the continent

(Schirmacher Oasis & Larsemann Hills) w.r.t. Indian plate.

4. Studies for neo-tectonic activities of the region.

Project Name/Number ESG-7 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 University of Delhi, New Delhi Naresh C. Pant: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Interrelationship between Orthogneisses and Paragneisses reported from the area needs to be examined.

2. More than two episodes of partial melting can be identified in the field. A careful examination of melting textures and interpretation of melting reactions is required.

3. Rare species of Borosilicates (Prismatine, Grandidierite, Tourmaline, Borolsilite, etc) have n=been reported from Granulite terrain if Larsemann hills, specifically Stornes Peninsula (Grew et al. 2013) which declares it ‘A Geo-heritage’. Very little is known about the protolith of gthis Boron rich assemblage. Such knowledge is significant to establish a Petrogenetic model of the area.

4. Pan African event ~500 Ma has been reported as low pressure Granulite facies development (Dirks et al. 1993). However its direct correlation with the orogenesis has not been clearly established.

5. Field data to be projected to comment upon sub-ice geology in the western margin of the PEL in conjunction with the geophysical observations.

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

Project Name/Number ESG-8 Validation of parameters of Antarctic Ice

Dynamics extracted from Indian Remote Sensing Data



Bharati & Maitri

Principal Investigator Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad D Ram Rajak: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To assess the temporal variations in the velocity of glaciers near Bharti and Maitri stations.

2. To estimate temporal changes in thickness of snow over land and sea ice.

3. To estimate the mass balance of glaciers using time-different DEM approach.

4. Assessment of ice deformation over ice-shelves including ice rise. (The above objectives require field validation for next three years.)

Project Name/Number ESG-9 Permanent seismological and GPS observatory at Maitri– Antarctica



Bharati & Maitri

Principal Investigator 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 Project-I-ESG-10 Ice Sheet dynamics around Schirmacher Oasis, cDML, East Antarctica Project-II-ESG-11 Relationship between the paragneiss and orthogneiss in the Larsemann Hills, Antarctica.

Project III-ESG-19 Role of trace elements geochemistry in different phases of metamorphism and partial melting of rocks from Schirmacher Oasis, cDML, East Antarctica with emphasis on metapelites.

Project IV-ESG-20 Glaciological Monitoring south of Grovnes, Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica


mailto:[email protected]


Project I-Maitri Project II- Bharati Project III-Maitri Projevt IV- Bharati

Principal Investigator Geological Survey of India, Faridabad Project I- Ashit Kumar Swain- [email protected] Project II- Joy Gopal Ghosh: [email protected] Project III- Raghura: [email protected] Projevt IV- Vikash Chandra: [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. 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. 3. To assess whether or not two high-grade

metamorphic events recorded from the area (i.e.,

at ~1 Ga and at ~530-500 Ma) occurred

subsequent to the deposition of the sediments

(paragneiss) or sediments were deposited in

between these two high-grade events. 4. To study the tectonic relationship between the

paragneiss-orthogneiss association exposed in the Larsemann Hills with the Mesoproterozoic Archean rocks of the Vestfold Hills.

Project III- 1. To understand the nature of partial melting of

metabasic and metapelitic rocks of Schirmacher as well as the field relationship between the melts and their parent rocks.

2. To study the geochemical nature (redistribution

of trace and REE) of major and accessory phases in the melts and source rocks.

3. To characterize the role of accessory and major

minerals in controlling the composition of

residual rocks and the partial melt products. Project IV- 1. Glaciological studies in parts of Larsemann Hills,

East Antarctica for providing inputs towards understanding of ice sheet dynamics in that region.

Project Name/Number ESG-16 Terrestrial exposure dating on Roche Moutonnées and glacial deposits of the Schirmacher Oasis to understand the extent and timing of Late Quaternary glaciations in the Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica



Maitri

Principal Investigator 1Central University of Punjab, Punjab 2Inter University of Accelerator Centre Jitendra Kumar Pattanaik1 : [email protected] Pankaj Kumar2: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. To find out the timing of different phase of Late

Quaternary glaciations in the Schirmacher Oasis using cosmogenic radionuclide dating of Roche Moutonnées and boulders from glacial deposits.

2. To constrain the maximum ice sheet extent in the Schirmacher Oasis during Last glacial Maxima (LGM)

3. To establish possible global synchronicity of the glacial events.

Project Name/Number ESG-17 Validation of remote sensing and model based high resolution ice sheet and glacier landforms science products for parts of Antarctic.



Maitri

Principal Investigator Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun Praveen K. Thakur: [email protected]

Main Activity/ Remarks 1. Ground observations and validation to verify the remote sensing and model based science products of wind vectors, ice sheet features and glaciers and accumulation and ablation zones formed due to wind.

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE 36th INDIAN SCIENTIFIC ... · 4. Examine the auroral westward...

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