Table Of ContentAtmospheric Research
in Antarctica
Atmospheric Research
in Antarctica
Present Status and Thrust
Areas in Climate Change
Edited by
Neloy Khare
Ministry of Earth Sciences, India
CRC Press
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Contents
Foreword ...............................................................................................................vii
Preface ......................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................xiii
Editor.......................................................................................................................xv
Contributors ........................................................................................................xvii
Abbreviations ......................................................................................................xxi
1. Indian Antarctic Programme—Aeronomy and Atmospheric
Sciences: An Overview ..................................................................................1
B. H. Subbaraya
2. Geomagnetic Research at Indian Research Base,
Antarctica: Initial Efforts and Salient Achievements ...........................17
A. K. Sinha, S. Gurubaran, A. Dhar, A. Hanchinal,
and B. M. Pathan
3. Study of Antarctic Meteorology and Atmospheric Ozone:
A Review ........................................................................................................37
R. P. Lal
4. Mathematical Modeling of Atmosphere and Ocean Processes
around Antarctica .........................................................................................65
A. C. Pandey, S. Rai, A. P. Mishra, V. K. Pandey, S. Dwivedi, A. Mitra,
and K. C. Tripathi
5. Very Low Frequency Emissions Observed at High Latitude
Indian Station Maitri, Antarctica: A Review ........................................111
A. K. Gwal, S. Choudhary, and S. K. Singh
6. Atmospheric Studies over Antarctica during Last Two Decades:
An Overview ...............................................................................................131
S. L. Jain, H. N. Dutta, R. Singh, B. C. Arya, S. D. Ghude,
P. S. Kulkarni, S. Nath, and R. S. Tanwar
7. Atmospheric Electricity and Aerosol Investigations over
Antarctica .....................................................................................................165
A. K. Kamra and C. G. Deshpande
v
vi Contents
8. Observations of Unique Long-Duration Shadow Band Activity
during the November 23, 2003, Total Solar Eclipse near Maitri,
Antarctica .....................................................................................................207
S. M. Bhandari
9. Exploration of Antarctica as a Natural Test Site for Vicarious
Calibration of Advanced Wide Field Sensor on Board
Resourcesat-1 ...............................................................................................225
S. S. Manjul, P. Narayanbabu, D. R. M. Samudraiah, and S. M. Bhandari
10. Study of Space Weather on GPS Performance at Low-Latitude
Station Bhopal and High-Latitude Station Maitri, Antarctica ..........239
A. K. Gwal and S. Choudhary
Glossary ...............................................................................................................261
Index .....................................................................................................................265
Foreword
The vast potential of the icy continent Antarctica for conducting basic
research relevant to atmospheric sciences is deeply acknowledged by the
scientific community at large, as it holds several unique features and answers
to many scientific challenges. The unique location of the earth’s aurora region,
which lies typically between the 65° and 75° geomagnetic latitudes in both
hemispheres, represents a region where there is a direct transfer of solar wind
energy and energetic particles into the earth’s near atmosphere environment
and offers an opportunity for the study of solar terrestrial energy coupling.
With the establishment of a second Indian research base, Maitri, during
1987–1989, India captured the scientifically significant location, which is just
equatorwards of the auroral oval for magnetically quiet conditions but is well
within the oval under geomagnetically disturbed conditions. This makes
Maitri unique for the study of the response of the auroral oval to changing
solar and geomagnetic conditions.
We have completed 39 years of the Indian Antarctic Programme. During
this time of almost four decades, research in Antarctic meteorology and
atmospheric science has emerged as an exciting opportunity and reward
for scientists and society. It is therefore imperative to discuss, collate, and
evaluate the data, results, and significant achievements of the past.
The present book, Atmospheric Research in Antarctica: Present Status and
Thrust Areas in Climate Change, has ably covered most of the scientific aspects
of Antarctic meteorology and atmospheric sciences. I am sure this book will
act as a catalyst for budding researchers to take up atmospheric science as a
challenging career.
Dr. K. J. Ramesh
vii
Preface
The icy continent Antarctica holds the answers to many scientific riddles and
thus offers tremendous scope for carrying out research in various scientific
fields. Besides other scientific disciplines, this region provides challenging
opportunities for atmospheric scientists and meteorologists.
Maitri is an ideal site to study the response of the auroral oval to changing
solar and geomagnetic conditions. Additionally, the study of the ozone
depletion phenomenon over the Antarctic region has been an area of major
excitement.
The present volume represents a panoramic view of the developments in the
field of Antarctic atmospheric sciences and meteorology. Each participating
organization has reviewed the progress broadly in the following areas:
Geomagnetism and aeronomy
Middle atmospheric studies
Global and climate change studies
Tremendous progress has been made in the front-ranking areas of solar
terrestrial research, ozone depletion and climate change, with a multi-
instrumental and multi-institutional (India Meteorological Department
[IMD], Indian Institute of Geomagnetism [IIG], National Physical Laboratory
[NPL], Physical Research Laboratory [PRL], Indian Institute of Tropical
Meteorology [IITM], Space Applications Centre [SAC], Barkatullah University,
and the K. Banerjee Centre for Atmospheric and Ocean Studies, University
of Allahabad [KBCAOS]) approach, during the initial two decades of Indian
Antarctic program and the same is continued with renewed vigour and zeal.
The importance of the location of Maitri in the study of solar terrestrial
research of magnetic disturbances has been illustrated by several measurements
made around Maitri. In middle atmospheric studies, measurements reveal that
the recovery of ozone depletion does not take place in Antarctica as opposed
to the Arctic due to frequent breakup of the polar vortex by disturbances,
the mechanism for which lies in the chlorine reservoir in the polar
stratosphere. Although regular operation is being continued for geomagnetic
measurements, ionospheric absorption, very low frequency (VLF) emission,
and optical aeronomy, the setting up of the facility, such as digital ionosonde,
high frequency (HF) Doppler, and for visual auroral imaging, has not been
achieved in the initial two decades of Indian Antarctic program. A secular
variation in horizontal components of the total field at Maitri is observed as
compared to other stations, and systematic study is to be continued.
Meteorological and boundary layer parameters are being regularly
monitored by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Physical
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