Pakistan Antarctic Programme
Encyclopedia
Ministry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Science and Technology , is a Cabinet-level ministry of government of Pakistan concerned with science and technology in Pakistan and in general, Pakistan's science policies, planning, coordination and directing of efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs...
(MoST) of Pakistan Government
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
which represent its presence in the continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
of Antarctica. The program coordinates the research and the operational scientific research in the region. The program is funded by Pakistan Science Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology, supports the research that can be done exclusively in the Antarctic region.
Currently, the PAP maintains and control 2 polar stations in the region. The first station being the Jinnah Antarctic Station
Jinnah Antarctic Station
The Jinnah Antarctic Station ' is an Antarctic scientific research station operated by the Pakistan Antarctic Programme.It is located in the vicinity of Sør Rondane Mountains, Queen Maud Land in Eastern Antarctica.-Description and history:...
(JNS) and the other station is known as Polar Research Cell (PRC) which was established within the National Institute of Oceanography
National Institute of Oceanography (Pakistan)
The National Institute of Oceanography, commonly known as NIO, is an executive and federal department of Pakistan Government, and a major research institute of Ministry of Science and Technology. The NIO is a science and research executive organization located in Karachi, Sindh province of Pakistan...
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
to co-ordinate all Antarctic related activities.
The Antarctic Programme was launched by the National Institute of Oceanography, with the full support of Pakistan Navy's Naval Weapons Engineering Division (NWED). In 1991, Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
established the programme under control of Navy. On June 15, 1992, Pakistan became an Associate Member of Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science . It was established in February 1958 to continue the international coordination of Antarctic scientific activities that had begun during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58...
but did not acceded to the Antarctic Treaty due to economic reasons.
In January 1991, Pakistan dispatched an expedition to Greater Antarctica under the auspices of National Institute of Oceanography
National Institute of Oceanography (Pakistan)
The National Institute of Oceanography, commonly known as NIO, is an executive and federal department of Pakistan Government, and a major research institute of Ministry of Science and Technology. The NIO is a science and research executive organization located in Karachi, Sindh province of Pakistan...
(NIO). As the programme was led the Navy, the PN dispatched a small battalion of Pakistan Marines
Pakistan Marines
The Pakistani Marines , are the Marine Corps and amphibious corps service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Pakistani Marines are a special military operations service branch of the Pakistani Navy and part of Pakistani Armed Forces, responsible for providing force projection from the sea,...
along with the team of scientists boarded on PNS Tariq, the destroyer, and the PNS Behr Paima
PNS Behr Paima
Behr Paima is a hydrographic survey and Research vessel owned by Pakistan Navy. Her keel was laid on 16 February 1982 and was launched on 7 July 1982 in Japan. The ship was handed over to Pakistan Navy on 27 December, same year. The ship was equipped with most modern surveying systems of the time...
, the research vessel. The facilities were quickly expanded in the region, and Jinnah Antarctic Station
Jinnah Antarctic Station
The Jinnah Antarctic Station ' is an Antarctic scientific research station operated by the Pakistan Antarctic Programme.It is located in the vicinity of Sør Rondane Mountains, Queen Maud Land in Eastern Antarctica.-Description and history:...
(JNS) was given commissioned. The station houses an unmanned automatic Weather Station in which the weather data are transmitted to Pakistan via Argos Satellite System
Argos System
Argos is a satellite-based system which collects, processes and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect...
. In 2001, the Badr-B
Badr-B
Badr-B The Badr-B payload was equipped with several CCD cameras, compact dosimeter, a telemetry system, charge detector and a temperature control unit...
was connected to the Weather Station as it was launched by the SUPARCO. In 2006, Pakistan established another station, known as Polar Research Cell (PRC) which was established within the National Institute of Oceanography. Both stations' data are transmitted to Pakistan via Badr-B Satellite. However, the new Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite System
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
The Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite , commercially known as Remote Sensing Satellite System is an dual purpose Earth observational and optical satellite which is schedule to launch by the end year of 2011 for the replacement of Badr-II satellite. The satellite is being manufacture indigenously...
will be launched in the late of 2011 to replace the Badr satellite system program.
Objectives
The main objectives of Pakistan Antarctic programme are to undertake multidisciplinary researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and survey
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
the Antarctic region particularly in the field of geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
. Studies also include environmental
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
research and oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
. The programme is also designed to provide relevant technical information to the Government of Pakistan on Antarctic affairs.
Stations
Pakistan is maintaining a summer research station (Jinnah Antarctic StationJinnah Antarctic Station
The Jinnah Antarctic Station ' is an Antarctic scientific research station operated by the Pakistan Antarctic Programme.It is located in the vicinity of Sør Rondane Mountains, Queen Maud Land in Eastern Antarctica.-Description and history:...
) and one weather observatory in the vicinity of Sør Rondane Mountains. Pakistan is also planning to build a full fledged permanent base at Antarctica which will enable the programme to start operations in Antarctica throughout the year.
External links
- Antarctic Research National Institute of Oceanography, Karachi