‘India should do more research in polar regions’
By IANSThursday, February 3, 2011
NEW DELHI - India needs to conduct more research in the polar regions which is crucial in understanding global climatic patterns, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Pawan Kumar Bansal said Thursday.
Addressing the inaugural session of Indo-Norway Joint Seminar on Polar Research, Bansal said: “It is heat and the density variations in the oceans that control the thermohaline circulation, govern the climatic patterns of different areas. So it is imperative to monitor the polar regions through various scientific programmes and also through multidisciplinary collaborative programmes.”
He said India will cooperate with Norway in polar research programmes.
“India has been pursuing scientific investigations in Antarctica for about three decades now. However, a wide gap exists in our knowledge about the Arctic. This is hindering a much-needed bi-hemispherical approach to polar sciences. The Arctic ocean and the surrounding regions are one of the most important areas that govern the Earths climate,” Bansal said.
Since 1981, the ministry of earth sciences (erstwhile department of ocean development) has been launching scientific research expeditions every year to Antarctica. The first Indian Arctic expedition was in August 2007.
The environment of the Antarctica provides an opportunity to study atmospheric science, depletion of ozone layer and adaptation of organisms to extreme environments.
