South Pole Scientific Expedition

South Pole Scientific Expedition

India had successfully completed a scientific expedition to the South Pole   during November-December 2010. It was very important expedition as it was part of the international celebration of centenary of man’s reaching South Pole in 1911.The first expedition to the South Pole started in 1902 and completed in 1911.This expedition was scientific in nature and was carried out with ice trucks, ice vehicles which travel 80 to 90 km/hour against the first expedition which was an adventure expedition where dogs and sledges were used.
            The 8-member team collected valuable atmospheric aerosol data and several short ice cores in the course of its transect from the Schiramcher Oasis to the South Pole. The team  reached South Pole on 22nd November, 2010 and after conducting on-site sample collection for research and undertaking other scientific tasks, returned to ‘Maitri’ on 1st December 2010.  The scientific studies carried out by the team enroute as well as on the South Pole comprised:  raising cores at regular spacing along the Maitri-South Pole (Amundsen-Scot station) traverse to study variability of snow chemistry, particulate matter, etc.;  GPR sections along traverse to understand bed rock topography and sub surface-ice structure;  study of glacial- geomorpholoical landforms along the plateau;  collection of meteorological and geophysical parameter along the 2000 km long traverse