In the chill climes of polar waters, scientists are looking for specific oceanographic factors that could influence Indian monsoon.
IndARC, the country’s first moored-underwater observatory in the Arctic, had recently been deployed for the continuous monitoring of the oceanographic parameters from various depths. IndARC is expected to provide significant inputs in the understanding of the Arctic climate and its possible link to tropical processes, specifically the Indian monsoon. The observatory is presently anchored about 1100 km away from the North Pole at a depth of 192 metres.
The observatory carries with it an array of high-end oceanographic sensors strategically positioned at discrete depths in the water column.
The sensors are programmed to collect real-time data on seawater temperature, salinity, current and other vital parameters of the fjord (creek), explained K.P. Krishnan, the leader of the project, ‘long-term monitoring of Kongsfjorden for climate-change studies’.
Climate change is felt first and fastest in the Arctic. It manifests as rising temperatures, loss of sea-ice and the melting of ice sheets. Any change in the Arctic region can influence climate patterns, sea-level rise and biodiversity changes across the globe, he noted.
The deployment of IndARC won the researchers the National Geoscience Award 2014, which was presented recently. The Indian research team included R. Venkatesan, Arul Muthiah and B. Kesavakumar of the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.
The observatory will help overcome logistical constraints in reaching the location during the harsh Arctic winter and obtaining near-surface data for the collection of oceanographic data. It will also aid the continuous collection of data from depths very close to the water surface as well as at different discrete depths, he said.
The oceanographic data acquired though the observatory, besides providing for an increased understanding of the response of the Arctic to climatic variability, would also provide inputs in the understanding of the Arctic processes and their influence on the Indian monsoon system through climate modelling studies, explained Dr. Krishnan.
