News Excerpt:

Himadri, India’s Arctic Research Station at Ny-Alesund in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, will now remain operational throughout the year.

Bases in the Arctic:

• At least 10 countries have set up permanent facilities at the International Arctic Research base.
• Due to the extreme cold, taking scientific observations or sampling has remained largely limited to the summer months. 
• India will join a small group of countries that operate their Arctic research bases through the winter.

Arctic research:

• The polar regions, Arctic and Antarctica, offer pristine environments for scientists to study a range of natural phenomena for atmospheric, oceanic, biological, geological, glaciological, and earth sciences research. 
• Scientific research in the Arctic region is governed by international legal instruments like the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 and the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, apart from the individual jurisdictions of the Arctic countries.

Impact of warming:

• Temperatures in the Arctic region have risen by about 4 degrees Celsius on average over the last 100 years; 2023 was the warmest year on record. 
• The extent of Arctic sea-ice has been declining at the rate of 13% per decade, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 
• At this rate, the Arctic could become ice-free in less than 20 years.
• The melting sea ice can have global impacts reaching beyond the Arctic region. 
• Rising sea levels can influence atmospheric circulation -
• An increase in tropical sea surface temperatures could lead to increased precipitation in the tropics, a shift in the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, and high chances of an increase in extreme rainfall events.
• Milder weather due to global warming could make the Arctic a more habitable and less hostile place, so -
• There could be a rush to explore and exploit the Arctic’s resources, including its minerals, and countries will seek to control trade, navigation, and other strategic sectors in the region.

India in the Arctic:

• India signed the Svalbard Treaty in Paris in 1920. 
• But it took until 2007 for the first Indian expedition comprising five scientists to visit the International Arctic Research Facilities to initiate studies in Arctic microbiology, atmospheric sciences, and geology.
• India’s permanent research station, Himadri, began operations in July 2008.
• Himadri is currently manned for about 180 days every year and has so far hosted more than 400 Indian researchers.
• Himadri has been equipped for observations during polar nights (that last longer than 24 hours).

The recently sent Indian expedition will explore - 

• The research areas will include atmospheric sciences, astronomy, astrophysics, and climate studies.
• Scientists will study lightning over the Arctic in winter, the role of precipitation in climate change, the characterization of radio frequency environment, and the role of aerosols on climate change.