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What is the News?
The Minister of Earth Sciences has informed Rajya Sabha about the Polar Science and Cryosphere Research(PACER) Initiative.
What is PACER Initiative?
Launched by: Ministry of Earth Sciences
Objective: To study various aspects relating to Polar and the Cryosphere with special emphasis on the Antarctic, Arctic and Glaciers of the Himalayas.
Programmes: The important programmes under the initiative include: the Antarctic program, Indian Arctic program, Southern Ocean program and Cryosphere and Climate program.
Implementing Agency: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR)
Duration of the Initiative: The initiative has been approved for continuation during 2021- 2026.
What are the major achievements of the PACER Initiative?
– Executed 39th & 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. The 41st Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica is ongoing.
– Ten sediment cores were collected from lakes to reconstruct the past climate associated with the ice-sheet dynamics.
– Clear-air atmospheric observatories containing automatic weather stations, a suite of sensors to measure aerosol and greenhouse gas concentrations has been established at Maitri and Bharati stations.
– The IndARC mooring system along with the Hydrophone system was successfully retrieved and deployed in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.
– Glaciological field campaigns were carried out in six benchmark glaciers in Chandra basin of Lahaul-Spiti region of Western Himalaya.
– The 11th Indian Southern Ocean Expedition was executed successfully.
| Read more: India’s Arctic Policy: India hopes to put down roots in Arctic |
Source: This post is based on an article “Pacer Initiative” published in PIB on 25th March 2022
