The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is
India’s nodal organization for the coordination and implementation of research
programmes in Antarctic, Arctic, Himalayan, and Southern Ocean, including
maintenance of Antarctic stations, ocean research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya and
India’s first underwater moored observatory (IndARC) at Kongsfjorden fjord,
Svalbard, Norway. Situated at Headland Sada in Mormugão, NCPOR facilitates
multidisciplinary research projects undertaken by national organizations and
academic institutions by offering logistic support. NCPOR sends yearly
scientific expeditions to the Antarctic, Arctic, Himalayas, and the Southern
Ocean.
Started as the Antarctic Study Centre under the erstwhile
Department of Ocean Development, it is an autonomous R&D institution
rechristened National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research. Since its
inception on May 25, 1998, NCAOR under the Ministry of Earth Sciences has been
a launch pad for Antarctic Expeditions. With tri-polar activities under its
ambit, it was recently rechristened as NCPOR with a lead role in Geoscientific
studies involving International Ocean Discovery Program and Deep Crustal Studies,
Extended Continental Shelf, and Indian Ocean Geoid Low, deep-sea exploration
and mapping for Hydrothermal vents, Exclusive Economic Zone, Cobalt Crust,
methane hydrates and multi-metal sulfides in mid-ocean ridges, using Sagar
Kanya and other ships.
NCPOR’s research story started with the first Antarctic
expedition in 1981, the Southern Ocean expedition in 2004, Arctic research in
2007, South Pole Expedition in 2010, and the Himalayan Cryospheric study in
2013. NCPOR’s major responsibility is the year-round maintenance of the Indian
stations in Antarctica - Maitri and Bharati, Himansh in the Himalaya
(Lahaul-Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh), and Himadri at Spitsbergen,
Svalbard, Norway.
The NCPOR scientists visit the Western Himalayan glaciers to
monitor glaciers for mass, energy, and hydrological balance. Arctic research
includes atmospheric, biological, marine, earth sciences, and glaciological
studies. Scientists collect ice core and snow samples from the Antarctic and
Himalayas and archives them at a -20°C maintained ice-core facility. Processing
and analysis are carried out to reconstruct periods representing substantial
climate transitions that provide an opportunity to investigate the magnitude of
responses and feedback mechanisms.
Sediment samples from Southern Ocean, Antarctic lakes and
fjords of Svalbard are collected to analyze, quantify, document and decipher
the past biogeochemical changes during the last glacial-interglacial cycles and
to provide perspectives on future climate change. Remote Sensing scientists
analyze satellite data to monitor glacier health and Southern Ocean dynamics,
sea ice variability, sea level changes, primary productivity, etc. Southern
Ocean group explores inter-relationship between physical and biochemical
entities and their role in carbon sequestration and biogeochemistry.
Researchers also investigates the role of anthropogenic aerosols for their
radiative, physical-chemical and optical properties. Arctic research includes
monitoring Kongsfjorden system, atmospheric aerosols, precursor gases,
multi-proxy geological studies, diversity of Arctic Cyanobacteria,
glaciological studies, etc.
NCPOR organised the national conference on polar sciences
that was held from May 16–19, to bring scientists from polar and ocean sciences
to deliberate on the Cryosphere and Ocean Research in poster and presentation
form. The importance of sea ice on climate and the Indian monsoon was
highlighted in a pre- conference workshop. Experts from India and abroad
delivered talks.