India launched 41st Scientific Expedition to Antarctica

Highlights:

• India successfully launched the 41st Scientific Expedition to Antarctica, recently.
• The first batch of Indian contingent arrived at the southern white continent.
• First batch comprises of 23 scientists and support staff. 
• They reached the Indian Antarctic station Maitri recently.
• Four more batches will land in Antarctica by air using DROMLAN facility. 
• They will land by mid-January 2021, onboard chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin.
• Major Programs of 41st expedition

• The first program is “geological exploration of Amery ice shelf” at Bharati station. 
• This programme will help in exploring the link between India and Antarctica in past.
• The second program is “reconnaissance surveys and preparatory work” to drill 500 meters of ice core near Maitri. 
• This programme will help in improving the understanding of Antarctic climate, sea-ice, greenhouse gases from a single climate, and westerly winds.
• Apart from accomplishing scientific programs, 41st expedition will replenish annual supplies of fuel, food as well as provisions & spares for operation & maintenance of life support systems set up at Maitri & Bharti.
• The ice core drilling will be done in association with British Antarctic Survey and Norwegian Polar Institute.
• Indian Antarctic programs started in 1981. 
• It has completed 40 scientific expeditions. 
• The programs helped in building three permanent research base stations in Antarctica:
• Dakshin Gangotri in 1983,
• Maitri in 1988 and Bharati in 2012.
• The entire Indian Antarctic program is managed by “National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa”. 
• NCPOR is an autonomous institute working under Ministry of Earth Sciences.