Transcript climate change

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
- 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
WEDDELL
SEA
MAITRI
LARSEMANN
HILLS
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
ADELIE PENGUINS WELCOMING US
MV THULELAND REACHING FAST ICE - DECEMBER 1985
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.
N
Shelf ice
Cap ice
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 DISPOSAL
DAKSHIN GANGOTRI, WINTER 1986
GARBAGE BURNING IN OPEN
MAITRI, 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 EDGE
OF SCHIRMACHER OASIS
AURORA AUSTRALIS
THE UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE
THE GLOW BEFORE THE SUNRISE
JUST BEFORE SUNRISE
AFTER TWO MONTHS’ DARKNESS
FIRST SUNRISE FOR A FEW
SECONDS ON 23 JULY 1992
WEDDELL SEALS ON FAST ICE
DECEMBER, 1986
CLIMATE CHANGE
THE CLIMATE CHANGE IN SCHIRMACHER
OASIS AREA IS REFLECTED IN THE
RECESSION OF DAKSHIN GANGOTRI
GLACIER
RECESSION OF DAKSHIN GANGOTRI GLACIER
AT AN APPROXIMATE RATE OF 0.7M PER YEAR
2001
2003
2001
OBS.POINT
2006
GPR WORK OVER FROZEN LAKE
INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED SYSTEM FOR
SEDIMENT CORING
DRILLING FOR ICE CORES
Ice Coring & Drilling
Conclusions of IND-1 Core:
 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
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.), ANDEANSAHARAN (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 THAT
WE MARCH TOGETHER TOWARDS A NEW
WORLD OF DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
AND……..
FLY HIGH IN THE SKIES OF OUR
THOUGHTS
FLY HIGH IN THE SKIES OF OUR THOUGHTS
Thank you for your patience