Advances in Antarctic geoscience studies: Indian contributions

Abstract

Indian contributions to Antarctic geosciences have been growing at a steady pace since last four decades or so, especially after the establishment of a national centre dedicated to polar studies (National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, NCPOR). Several national organizations, laboratories and universities have contributed to the country's endeavors in Polar geosciences in varied fields such as structure and tectonics, metamorphism, geochronology, palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, seismo-tectonics, palaeomagnetism, and other related branches to generate a wealth of scientific data. The area of operations has been spread over parts of Central Dronning Maud land and the Larsemann Hills of Prydz Bay in East Antarctica, that expose poly-metamorphic deformed terrain with imprints of both the Grenville and Pan African orogeny. The geoscientific studies have focused on crustal evolution and geodynamics of the Antarctic continent and best fit model for India and Antarctic prior to the Gondwana amalgamation and split. Deep seismic profiles and related studies have revealed the subsurface nature of crust while other geophysical studies include geomagnetism and movement of Antarctic plate, ground penetrating radar surveys. The limnological studies, nature of surface sediments, sediments from melt water lakes, their provenance and microtextures etc, have been covered in another paper in this volume.