Recently, India flagged off its first winter scientific expedition to Himadri, the country’s Arctic Research Station located in Ny-Ålesund within the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic. This significant event marked the country’s focus on research and understanding of polar climates, climate change phenomena, space weather, ecosystem adaptations and a host of other related areas.
Winter Arctic Scientific Expedition: An Overview
India’s maiden Arctic winter expedition is indeed a groundbreaking move. Conducted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) among others, the expedition enables researchers to carry out unique scientific observations during polar nights – a period characterized by 24-hour darkness and sub-zero temperatures. This opens up new opportunities for India to enhance its scientific capabilities in the Earth’s poles while understanding crucial elements such as climate change, sea-ice and ocean circulation dynamics, and ecosystem adaptations.
Significance of India’s Winter Arctic Research
Since 2008, India has been operating a research base named Himadri in the Arctic, mainly hosting scientists during the summer months (April to October). The focus has been on diverse research areas including atmospheric, biological, marine, and space sciences, environmental chemistry, and studies on cryosphere, terrestrial ecosystems, and astrophysics. With this winter expedition, India joins a small group of countries that operate their Arctic research bases throughout the year. This winter research highlights India’s growing interest in understanding global warming and its impact on the Arctic region.
Impact of Warming on the Arctic
Over the last century, temperatures in the Arctic region have increased by about 4 degree Celsius on average. As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the extent of Arctic sea-ice has been declining at the rate of 13% per decade. The melting sea ice can have global impacts that go beyond the Arctic region, influencing atmospheric circulation, shifting Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, and increasing chances of extreme rainfalls. Warmer temperatures could also make the Arctic more habitable, leading to a rush for exploring and exploiting the Arctic’s resources.
India’s Polar and Cryosphere Expeditions
India’s expeditions to the Earth’s poles are facilitated under the PACER (Polar and Cryosphere) scheme of the MoES. These expeditions are executed through the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), an autonomous institution of MoES. India’s first Antarctica station was set up in 1983 which is now submerged under ice, but two other stations, Maitri and Bharti, are currently in operation. The expeditions to the Earth’s poles underscore the country’s commitment to understand and tackle the challenges posed by climate change.
Examining the Motive
The question that arises here is – Why is India interested in the resources of the Arctic region? The exploration and exploitation of the Arctic’s resources, including its minerals, could open up huge economic opportunities. More importantly, such efforts facilitate a greater understanding of climate patterns which could directly impact weather phenomena like monsoons in the tropics. Given the possible environmental consequences of oil discovery in the Arctic Sea, it becomes crucial to align economic interests with environmental preservation.