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The present scenario of global warming makes it necessary to understand the climate system of Earth, which can be achieved by studying its past variations. A National Conference on "Climatic Changes during the Quaternary: Special reference to Polar Regions and Southern Ocean" was arranged by National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR) and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany (BSIP) at International Centre Goa from 22 – 23 October 2009. Shri Rasik Ravindra, Director, NCAOR, while welcoming the experts and the participants, laid emphasis on the multi-disciplinary requirement of present day research. The introduction to the conference was given by Dr. N.C. Mehrotra, Director BSIP. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Dileep Deobagkar, Vice Chancellor, Goa University and the Chief Guest who also released of the abstract volume of the papers to be presented in the conference. The chief guest congratulated the scientists present from all over India for their efforts to understand Earth system processes & stressed on the need of understanding the past climate of the Earth to predict the future. Dr. M. Ramakrishna, former senior Deputy Director General, Geological Survey of India and an eminent geologist was present as Guest of Honour. The inauguration function was followed by a key-note lecture by Dr. Robert A. Spicer of The Open University, UK interestingly entitled “Polar Perspectives: Past, Present and Possible”. He elucidated that polar records provide invaluable data regarding high latitude conditions during times of previous global warmth, thus enhancing our understanding of the entire Earth system. There were several important papers presented during the conference that highlighted the change in Earth’s climate system during Quaternary with focus on processes occurring in Polar Regions. Quaternary, the most recent period of the Earth’s time-history, spans the past ~2.6 million years during which the Earth underwent several cycles of glaciation (cooling) & deglaciation (warming). This Period has witnessed a drastic change in the earth’s temperature, rise and fall of sea levels, contraction and expansion of the continental ice-sheets, advance and retreat of glaciers and above all an exponential increase of the human population. Similarly, Polar Regions (viz. Antarctica & Arctic) play an important role in governing the Earth’s climate via several oceanic & atmospheric pathways. The conference focussed on both the basic and applied aspects of the use of different tools and proxies in deciphering climate change. |
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