The Earth System Science (ESS)

Programme Advisory Committee on Earth Science (PAC-ES)

This SERC Programme is implemented through the Earth System Science Division of DST and is guided by a Galaxy of experts viz. the Programme Advisory Committee on Earth Sciences.

Major thrust is being given to the following areas:

• Field Mapping
  
• Basin Modelling
  
• Sequence Stratigraphy
  
• Himalayan Geology
  
• Mesozoic Of Kutchch
  
• Chemical Thermodynamics
  
• Geo-hydrology
  
• Vertebrate & Micro Paleontology

In addition to recommending projects to be funded, the PAC-ES also shoulders responsibility to scout for talent to take up specific research problems, identify gaps in research/ information and advises DST on improving the overall research climate in the country through manpower training, Brainstorming session or facility creation.

Earth Science Programmes

The basic characteristics of the programmes being implemented by the Earth System Sciences are in the framework of

• Extension of support to forefront areas of research,
  
• Nationally co-ordinated programmes, long-term/ extensive / intensive observation / field campaigns for data acquisition/ processing/ analysis,
  
• Indigenous development of techniques/technology for earth monitoring,
  
• Knowledge sharing through Seminars / Symposia and Training Workshops / Summer and winter schools
  
• Support to special publications / research highlights

In the following sections the broad objectives and the status of some of the important programmes being implemented are given.

Initiatives on Manpower Development

To generate trained manpower in Earth Sciences a multi-pronged approach has been adopted wherein support has been given to deserving candidates for interacting with leading scientists/institutions, organization of contact courses on specific themes/application of advanced techniques, Summer/Winter schools in emerging thematic areas, support to the organization/ participation in seminars and symposia. To indicate the breadth of thematic areas covered, a list of some of the trainings is given below:

• Contact Course on Contemporary Concepts & Tools in Fold & Thrust belt deformation - CMMACS, Bangalore.
  
• Workshop on Paleomagnetism & Rock Magnetism in India - CESS Trivandrurn.
  
• Winter School on Sedimentary Facies and Basin Analysis - 3 Schools Jadavpur University & IIT Bombay.
  
• Fluid inclusions in Minerals - Methodologies, Practice & Applications - IIT-Kharagpur.
  
• Contact Programme on Structure, Tectonics and Mesozoic Stratigraphy of Kutchch - IIT Mumbai.
  
• Interaction meet with Geo-scientists of Jharkand Region
  
• Brainstorming Session on Tectonic Geomorphology IIT Kanpur.
  
• Brainstorming session on Mathematical modeling in Glaciology at National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad.
  
• Training Courses in Glaciology (3 trainings) on theoretical and practical aspects of Glacier studies.
  
• Training programmes and short term courses on GPS technology has been organized in Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology-Dehradun, IIT- Bombay, CMMACS Bangalore and at Itanagar.
  
• Contact programme on "Experimental Structure Geology" BHU, Varanasi
  
• Contact Programme on Fluvial Systems- MS University Baroda, Vadodara
  
• SERC School on " Tectonic Geomorphology".

In addition to organizing such training workshops, there have been instances where support has been extended to participate in the national and international seminars and symposia. Further, opportunity is provided to selected young researchers for interacting with experts once every year under the PAC-ES scheme.

Initiatives on Earth Science Infrastructure Development

The Earth Sciences Division of the DST has taken advantage of the FIST and IRHPA schemes and has laisoned with the leading earth scientists and encouraged them to evolve proposals for consideration. As a result, the following facilities have been created/under the process of creation:

• Thermal lonisation Mass Spectrometer (TIMS) - IIT Roorkee - Under DCS
  
• Thermal lonisation Mass Spectrometer (TIMS) - Pondicherry Univ. - IRHPA
  
• Inductivity Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectrometer - ICP-AES at JNU
  
• Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer - IIT Kharagpur
  
• Inductivity Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometer-NGRI Hyderabad - cost sharing basis CSIR & DST
  
• High Pressure Temperature Facility - Natl. Centre of Experimental Mineralogy & Petrology, Univ. of Allahabad
  
• Accelerated Mass Spectrometer - (Barillium 26/C/ Al) - Inst. Physics Bhubaneshwar

Under the FIST, image processing and GIS facilities has been created in several universities across the country. In addition, major analytical facilities for carrying out earth science research were also created taking into consideration the research activities in and around the institution, commitment from the institution to maintain the system and extend the facilities to the other institutions not only in their region but also from all parts of India. Some of the facilities that were created in the recent time are as follows:

• ICP-AES facility at Pondicherry University, Pondicherry.
  
• ICP-AES/MS at IIT-Bombay, Mumbai.
  
• EPMA at Allahabad University, Allahabad.
  
• Laser Raman Spectrometer at IIT - Kharagpur, Kharagpur.

Publication

With the sole aim of consolidating the research highlights/activities in specific areas of Earth Sciences and dissemination of such information to the research and academic community, DST has time and again extended supported for the publication of books and compilation volumes through Geological Societies and Universities.

Following is a an indicative list:

• Vision Papers for R&D in Earth & Atmospheric Sciences (1998) Publ. Ind. Geol.Congress, Roorke
  
• Research Highlights in Earth Sciences with Focus ( Deep Continental Studies, Glaciology & Atmospheric Sciences (2000) Publ. Ind. Geol.Congress, Roorkee.
  
• Special Volume on Seismicity (2001) Publ. Ind. Geol.Congress, Roorkee.
  
• S& T Inputs on Water Resources Management (2003) Publ. Ind. Geol.Congress, Roorkee.
  
• Continental Crust of Northwestern and Central India (2002), Sinha-Roy & K.R. Gupta (Eds.), Publ. Geol.Soc. of India, Bangalore.
  
• Continental Crust of South India (1993), B.P. Radhakrishna (Ed.), Geol. Soc. India. Bangalore.
  
• Indian Continental Lithosphere: Emerging Research Trends (2003). T.M. Mahadevan, B.R. Arora & K.R. Gupta (Eds.) Geol. Soc. India, Bangalore.
  
• Himalayan Tectonics (The Himprobe Results) (2003).IIT Roorkee.
  
• Tectonics of Southern Granulite Terrain - Kuppam Palani Geotransect (2003) M. Ramakrishnan (Ed.), Geol. Sac. India, Bangalore.
  
• Sustainable Development & Management of Groundwater Resources in Semi-Arid Region with Special Reference to Hard Rocks (Vol- I & II), Seminar Proceedings - International Groundwater Conference 2002, Publ. By Oxford IBH
  
• Recent Trends in Hydrogeochemistry (2003), Ramanathan & Ramesh (Eds), Capital Publ. Company, N.Delhi.