YEAR
END REVIEW-Ministry of Earth Sciences
Following
are the salient features of the initiatives taken by the Union Ministry of Earth
Sciences during the year 2013:
Sh. S. Jaipal
Reddy inaugurated “Weather Services of IMD on Mobile”
138th Foundation Day of IMD Celebrated
Union
Minister for science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri
S.Jaipal Reddy inaugurated the “Weather Services of
IMD on Mobile” in a glittering function organised to
mark the 138th Foundation Day of India Metrological Department (IMD) here in
New Delhi today. Dr. Shailesh Nayak , Secretary, Ministry
of Earth Sciences , Dr L. S. Rathore, DGM, IMD and
other senior officers of IMD were present on the occasion.
Nowcasting of Weather
The
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
operationalized its location specific nowcasting
weather services through Earth System Science Organization (ESSO)-IMD across
the country. This includes the web based inputs. Under this service activity,
that covers 117 urban centres currently on
experimental basis, nowcast
of severe weather (Thunderstorms; heavy rainfall from lows/depressions over the
land) in 3-6h range is issued. Origin, development/movement of severe weather
phenomena are regularly monitored through all available observing systems
(Automatic Weather Stations-AWSs; Automatic Rain Gauges-ARGs; Doppler Weather
Radars-DWRs; Automatic Weather Observing Systems-AWOS; satellite derived wind
vectors, temperature, moisture fields etc.) are assimilated to generate
predictions (prepared both in text as well as in graphical form) on 3h time
range. Web GIS rendering of the nowcast products is
implemented for enhanced spatial representation of the severe weather
intensities associated with warnings.
Proposals
invited from Indian Reseachers to Carry Out Study in
Geology and Related Subjects.
The
Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) under the
Ministry of Earth Sciences invited proposals from Indian researchers working in
national research Institutes, Universities and other Govt. organizations to
carry out core related studies in Geology, Geochemistry, Petrography,
Geochronology, Palaeo-magnetism, Rock mechanics,
Hydrogeology, Palaeo-environment, Microbial and
related studies. The last date of submission in prescribed format was 31st May, 2013.
The proposal was a follow up of the major scientific programme
initiated by ESSO-MoES with National Geophysical
Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), Hyderabad to understand the mechanism of
Reservoir- Triggered Seismicity (RTS) in the Koyna Warna region, Maharashtra. A significant component of the programme includes, drilling a set of 4 boreholes
initially, each going down to about 1500 m depth. The first borehole in Koyna was completed, while further work underway. The cores
of both the basalt pile and the underlying basement granitoids
retrieved from the borehole form a valuable database and offer a unique
opportunity to carry out a wide spectrum of scientific investigations.
IMD
Predicted Normal Southwest Monsoon Seasonal Rainfall during 2013
IMD predicted that
in the year 2013 their will be a normal Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall for
the country as a whole i.e. 96 to 104% of Long Average. during June to September. This was announced by
the Union Minister of Earth Sciences & Science and Technology Shri S.Jaipal Raddy at a Press conference on 25th April, 2013 in NewDellhi . The prediction was found correct.
LS Rathore Elected as Member of Executive Council of WMO
Dr Laxman Singh Rathore, Director
General of Meteorology & Permanent Representative of India with WMO was elected as Member
of Executive Council of WMO during the 65th Executive Council of World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) meeting currently being in progress at
Geneva.
Dr Laxman Singh Rathore, DG IMD
& Permanent Representative of India with WMO Elected As CO-Vice Chairman of
Intergovernmental Board of Climate Services (IBCS)
Dr Laxman
Singh Rathore, Director General of Meteorology &
Permanent Representative of India with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was
again elected
as Co-Vice Chairman of Intergovernmental Board of Climate Services (IBCS)
during its first meeting held at Geneva during 1st to 5th July 2013. Dr. Rathore was recently elected as member of the Executive
Council of the WMO and has earlier served a term as Vice President of
Commission of Agriculture Meteorology. Anton Eliassen,
Director General, Norway Meteorological Institute has been elected as Chair and
Dr Linda Makuleni, South Africa is the other Co-Vice
Chair.
With the appointment of Rathore, India, who is
championing the cause of developing nations is poised to play a crucial role in
implementation of Global Framework of Climate Service (GFCS). WMO launched GFCS
as key outcome of World Climate Conference (WCC)-3 aiming to enables better
management of the risks of climate variability and change and adaptation to
climate change, through the development and incorporation of science-based
climate information and prediction into planning, policy and practice on the
global, regional and national scale. The four priority areas of the GFCS are
Agriculture and Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction, Health and Water.
Prediction
of Cyclone Phailin
India Meteorological Department (IMD) gave
a clear picture of cyclone “Phailin” in the bay of Bengal well in time in October 2013 which helped in
saving millions of life in the costal areas of Odisha
and Andhra Pradesh.
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