Cusat: Signing of MoU of Moveable Atmospheric Radar for Antarctica

KOCHI:
Moveable Atmospheric Radar for Antarctica (MARA) is a wind-profiler radar operating at 54.5 MHz at Maitri, Antarctica. MARA provides continuous measurements of full height profiles of winds,turbulence, waves, and diverse atmospheric features starting from the troposphere to the mesosphere.
MARA is owned by Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF). MARA is currently installed at Indian Antarctic station Maitri and is in operation since the summer season 2013-14. The successful operation of MARA at the Indian station is made possible with the dedicated logistics support provided by National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa. During the summer season of 2017-18, MARA will be handed over to India by Swedish Institute of Space Physics for the continuous operation and research. Under this agreement, MARA will be owned and operated by NCAOR & IRF. In this context, NCAOR & Cusat Radar Centre (ACARR) will jointly undertake expeditions for maintanace and carry out scientific studies using the data collected by MARA.
Simultaneous measurements of wind profiles from ST Radar at Cochin, MARA at Antarctica, and another Radar (ESRAD) at Kiruna, Sweden, Arctic will be highly useful for various studies on high latitude – low latitude coupling processes. These observational facilities are expected to provide remarkable information on the circulation and dynamics of the cold polar atmosphere and warm tropical atmosphere and their role in modulating global atmospheric weather systems.
A formal Handing-Over ceremony of the MARA Radar owned by Swedish Institute of Space Physics to NCAOR, Goa and to ACARR, Cusat will be held at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR), Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin on 3rd November 2017 at 11.00 am. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the scientific collaboration among the three institutions utilising the Radar facility will also be signed and handed over in this function. Dr. Sheila Kirkwood, representing Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Prof. Dr. J. Letha, Vice Chancellor, CUSAT and Dr. Thampan Meloth, Senior Scientist from NCAOR will participate in the function.