antarctica the indian perspective and climate change
DESCRIPTION
ANTARCTICA THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE AND CLIMATE CHANGE. BY SHARADINDU MUKERJI DIRECTOR ANTARCTICA DIVISION GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA. WHY DO SOME MEN DESIRE WITH SUCH URGENCY TO DO SUCH THINGS, REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES, VOLUNTARILY, CONSCRIPTED BY NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES NO ONE KNOWS - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
ANTARCTICA THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
ANDCLIMATE CHANGE
BY
SHARADINDU MUKERJIDIRECTOR
ANTARCTICA DIVISIONGEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
WHY DO SOME MEN DESIRE WITH SUCH URGENCY TO DO SUCH THINGS,
REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES,VOLUNTARILY,CONSCRIPTED BY NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES
NO ONE KNOWS
- SCOTT
500 MILLION YEARS AGO THE FAR SEPARATED CONTINENTS OF TODAY WERE ACTUALLY JOINED TOGETHER
AROUND 200 MILLION YEARS AGO THEY STARTED BREAKING OFF AND DRIFT AWAY FROM EACH OTHER
THE PROCESS IS CONTINUING EVEN TODAY
THE LANDMASS OF ANTARCTICA IS SURROUNDED BY “SOUTHERN OCEAN” WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A MIXTURE OF WATERS OF INDIAN, PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC OCEANS.
THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO POLAR REGIONS OF EARTH.
THE NORTH POLAR REGION – ARCTIC – IS AN OCEAN SURROUNDED BY CONTINENTS WHILE SOUTH POLAR REGION – ANTARCTICA – IS A CONTINENT SURROUNDED BY OCEAN.
WHY ANTARCTICA ?
• INDIA AND ANTARCTICA ARE LONG SEPARATED NEIGHBOURS
• THAT IS A MAJOR REASON WHY WE GO TO ANTARCTICA
• ANTARCTICA ALSO PROVIDES THE MOST PRISTINE LOCATION ON THE SURFACE OF PLANET EARTH FOR SCIENTIFIC STUDIES IN THE FIELDS OF EARTH SCIENCE, ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE, PHYSICAL SCIENCE, MEDICAL SCIENCE, ETC.
AREAS OF INDIAN ACTIVITY
MAITRI
LARSEMANN HILLS
WEDDELL SEA
ADMIRALTY BAY
LOOKING FOR THE LEAD CHANNEL
IN THE POLYNYA
POLYNYA IS AN OPEN STRETCH OF WATER
BETWEEN
PACK ICE AND ICE SHELF
Tabular Iceberg
MV THULELAND REACHING FAST ICE - DECEMBER 1985
ADELIE PENGUINS WELCOMING US
ICE SHELF
FAST ICE
SHIP ALONG THE SHELF EDGE
INDIA BAY
DAKSHIN GANGOTRI STATION AS SEEN IN JANUARY 1986
THE LOUNGE AT DAKSHIN GANGOTRI~ 40 FEET BELOW SURFACE
DAKSHIN GANGOTRI STATION IN 1990
…….and in 2003
AERIAL VIEW OF SCHIRMACHER OASIS
Maitri Stn.
Shelf ice
Cap ice
N
A CLOSER LOOK
MAITRI STATION COMPLEX
WOHLTHAT MOUNTAINS PHOTOGRAPHED FROM A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 KM
FIELD WORK IN ORVIN MOUNTAINS
JANUARY 1999
A COMPARISON
THE TENT USED IN 1983 AND THAT IN 1992
ENVIRONMENT ASPECTS
• It is but obvious that with man encroaching into the pristine world of Antarctica, the environment of this nearly pollution free continent is threatened from many angles.
• The major threats come from the human waste generated everyday and the waste that is generated by human activity in the permanent stations – in the form of tonnes of garbage every year.
• Shipping in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica as well as flying activities over the entire region add to the menace.
• BUT THE WORK HAS TO GO ON………THEREFORE,
CARRYING GARBAGE ON SLEDGE FOR DISPOSALDAKSHIN GANGOTRI, WINTER 1986
GARBAGE BURNING IN OPENMAITRI, WINTER 1992
MAITRI STATION, WINTER 2005
THE KLARGESTER ROOM
THE KLARGESTER SYSTEM
THE NEW TOILET MODULE INTRODUCED IN WINTER, 2008
THE NEW TOILET SYSTEM
PRISTINE ANTARCTICA
• IT IS VERY VITAL THAT ANYONE WHO IS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPLORATION WORK IN ANTARCTICA RELENTLESSLY STRIVES TO SAFEGUARD THE PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CONTINENT.
• THE EFFORTS ARE ON IN A CONTINUOUS AND REGULAR MANNER TO SAVE THE TRANQUILITY AND SHEER BEAUTY OF THE LAND…………
FIELD WORK IN THE MOUNTAINS
SKUA FLYING OVER SCHIRMACHER OASIS
TRAPPED AIR BUBBLES IN FROZEN LAKE WATER
FROZEN SEA WAVE AT THE EDGEOF SCHIRMACHER OASIS
AURORA AUSTRALISTHE UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE
THE GLOW BEFORE THE SUNRISE
JUST BEFORE SUNRISEAFTER TWO MONTHS’ DARKNESS
FIRST SUNRISE FOR A FEW SECONDS ON 23 JULY 1992
WEDDELL SEALS ON FAST ICEDECEMBER, 1986
CLIMATE CHANGETHE CLIMATE CHANGE IN SCHIRMACHER OASIS AREA IS REFLECTED IN THE RECESSION OF DAKSHIN GANGOTRI GLACIER
OBS.POINT
2001
20012003 2006
RECESSION OF DAKSHIN GANGOTRI GLACIERAT AN APPROXIMATE RATE OF 0.7M PER YEAR
GPR WORK OVER FROZEN LAKE
INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED SYSTEM FOR SEDIMENT CORING
DRILLING FOR ICE CORES
The mean annual rate of accumulation calculated to ~19 cm per annum in the last 200 years
The mean annual surface temp (MASAT) shows that the beginning of the 19th Century was colder by ~20 C than the present temperatures
Volcanic mega-eruption of 1815 AD (‘Tambora’) has been detected as a clear marker horizon
The nuclear pulse of 1940-1980 AD is yet to be detected in samples from this area
Conclusions of IND-1 Core:
Ice Coring & Drilling
GLOBAL WARMING ! NO DOUBT
BUT ANTARCTIC SCENARIO IS DIFFERENT
OCEAN TEMPERATURE
ARCTIC – A DIFFERENT STORY
PERMAFROST MAKING WAY FOR LAKES/PONDS,NORTHERN EDGE OF ALASKA
PERMAFROST DISAPPEARING
MELTING PERMAFROST IN ARCTIC CIRCLE
POLAR BEAR IS ON THE RUN
NOW WHERE TO GO ?
THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET IS GROWING
GROWLERS IN ADMIRALTY BAY(ANTARCTIC PENINSULA AREA)
DECEMBER 2009
POLISH STATION ARCTOWSKI SURROUNDED BY SNOW - DECEMBER 2009
UNUSUAL SNOW COVER IN ADMIRALTY BAY AREA - DECEMBER 2009
COMANDANTE FERRAZ
THE HUMAN ANGLE AND SOME FACTS
• IT IS KNOWN THAT THE HUMAN CONTRIBUTION TO EARTH’S GREENHOUSE EFFECT IS NEGLIGIBLE AT 0.2% TO 0.3%
• GLOBAL WARMING HAS TAKEN PLACE DUE TO NATURAL CAUSES AT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF EARTH’S GEOLOGICAL PAST
• EARTH HAS PASSED THROUGH AT LEAST FIVE MAJOR ICE AGES IN THE PAST – HURONIAN (2.1 TO 2.4 Ga B.P.), CRYOGENIAN (850 TO 630 MY B.P.), ANDEAN-SAHARAN (460 TO 430 MY B.P.), KAROO (360 TO 260 MY B.P.) AND CURRENT (BEGAN 2.58 MY AGO)
• THIS IMPLIES THAT WE ARE STILL IN AN ICE AGE THOUGH PASSING THROUGH AN INTERGLACIAL STAGE
• THERE IS NOTHING TO GET TOO PANICKY ABOUT THE WHOLE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
• UNDOUBTEDLY THERE IS GLOBAL WARMING BUT THE PHENOMENON MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN THE LIGHT OF MULTIFARIOUS FACTORS CONTROLLING THE GLOBAL CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE
• THE COMMON MAN SHOULD BE EDUCATED ON NATURAL EARTH PROCESSES
• FIELD DATA COLLECTED BY ROOT LEVEL SCIENTISTS AS WELL AS NON-SCIENTISTS SHOULD BE GIVEN DUE COGNIZANCE BY THE LEADERS IN SCIENCE
• IT IS TIME WE EMPHASIZE ON KEEPING OUR ENVIRONMENT CLEAN ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE ANTARCTICA
• ONLY THEN……
ONLY THEN
WE CAN LIVE HAPPILY IN THIS WORLD
IT IS IMPORTANT THATWE MARCH TOGETHER TOWARDS A NEW WORLD OF DEEPER UNDERSTANDINGAND……..
FLY HIGH IN THE SKIES OF OUR THOUGHTS
FLY HIGH IN THE SKIES OF OUR THOUGHTS
Thank you for your patience