NEWS
2025-07-29
Indian successfully launched the 44th Scientific Expedition to Antarctica
Editor:Swati Nagar(NCPOR, India)
India successfully launched its 44th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (44-ISEA). In total, 103 participants (including scientific and logistic teams) from 18 organizations and universities were inducted in batches, while the 43rd ISEA winter team was de-inducted. Key highlights included redeployment of an ice-tethered mooring system in Quilty Bay, real-time ocean and meteorological data collection, and sampling for ecological studies, etc. A deep ocean glider was deployed in the Southern Ocean on 3rd February 2025 and retrieved on 7th April 2025, covering ~1200 km and collecting crucial oceanographic data (Figure1).
Two major international collaborations were undertaken during 44th ISEA: the STAPLES (Spatio-Temporal investigations of Polar Lacustrine Systems) project, involving scientists from India, Belgium, and Japan, focused on sediment coring collecting various sediment cores from different lakes of Larsemann Hills along with samples for Lake Biogeochemistry, surface exposure dating, etc (Figure 2); and the SENS (Sub Shelf Exploration of Nivl Ice Shelf) project, in collaboration with the University of Bergen, conducted under-ice bathymetry surveys beneath the Nivl Ice Shelf using hovercraft-based radar systems. With the logistic support from Maitri-Indian station in Antarctica, the team has mapped 400+ km of Nivl Ice Shelf using ice-penetrating radar.
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Figure 1. Deployment of Glider in the Southern Ocean.png
Figure 2. International team of STAPLES with the lake core.png