Result of scientific data from South Pole expedition by Dec

Updated on: Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A team of scientists, which had embarked on an expedition to the South Pole to study climate change patterns over the past few hundred years in Antarctic
and its implications on global climate, will make public their data by this year-end.
"The result of the scientific data collected during the expedition in November last will be available by year-end," Ajay Dhar, one of the eight members of the team and a senior scientist at Indian Institute of Geomagnetism here, told.

The team traversed a total distance of 4,800 km to South Pole from Matri, Indian research station in Antarctica, and back amidst harsh weather conditions (in temperature as low as -54 deg C), he said.

"Withstanding many mechanical breakdowns and other problems, the team collected valuable data and snow/ice core samples throughout the journey which ended on December 1," Dhar said.

"The team conducted studies on glacial-geomorphological landforms along the plateau, atmosphere aerosol and snow chemistry, glacial dynamics and meteorological, geomagnetic and glacial landforms," said Dhar, a geophysicist who had been to Antarctica 10 times since 1995.

"The ice cores are yet to be received in India and the analysis of the other data has just started. The results will be out possibly by the end of this year," he said.

The Antarctic continent, covered with a thick layer of ice, is known for its harsh climate and terrain. After a tough and adventure filled 10-day journey, the team reached South Pole on November 22, Dhar said.

There is a mountain chain called Wohlthat nearly 100 km from Maitri and one has to cross these mountains to reach the polar plateau, which is full of crevasses.

"The distance between Maitri and South Pole is nearly 2,400 km and you have to have the right type of vehicles to undertake this treacherous journey. You also need to establish fuel dumps on the way," Dhar said.

On whether there is a plan to have a second scientific mission to the South Pole, he said, "At present, we have a scientific programme to raise ice cores from the polar plateau. If required, we can have more expeditions in future."

The first humans to reach the South Pole were Norwegian Ronald Amundsen and his party on December 14, 1911.

To commemorate 100 years of Amundsen's expedition and to mark 30 years of Indian presence in Antarctica, the government had launched the scientific expedition, led by National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research director Rasik Ravindra.

Result of scientific data from South Pole expedition by Dec

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