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I saw this on another forum....George
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A Goan girl in Antarctica
By Nandkumar Kamat
Courtesy: - New frontiers, the Navhind Times, Panaji, Goa, April 12, 2006
She traveled to the icy continent of Antarctica as if she were an experienced
voyager. The
enthusiasm, grit and determination of Miss Dipti Vilas Gawas Dessai from
Sheldem Quepem, a
research scholar of the department of Marine sciences, Goa University, is an
objective lesson for
the Goan students, especially young women, aspiring to conquer greater and
greater heights. Dipti
was a member of the 23 member special reconnaissance expedition sent by
National Centre for
Antarctica and Ocean research (NCAOR), Vasco.
A Ocean going Russian vessel "Academician Boris Petrov' was chartered for this
purpose. The
expedition was led by Mr. M. Sudhakar. It left Goa on 25 January and returned
on April 1 after
logging some 25,000 kilometres during its' voyage. I was happy to listen from
Dipti about her
experience on board of the ship and the exciting moments when they spotted the
first icebergs and
knew that they were close to their destination. The government of India has
already set up two
permanent base stations in Antarctica-Gangotri and Maitri. There are plans to
set up another
permanent base station near Larsemann hills and Mcleod base station. Before the
splitting of the
supercontinent `Pangea' the southern and western parts of India were attached
to northern and
north-eastern Antarctica. So there are several geological and petrological
features which are
common in South India and this icy southern continent.
The photographs shown by Dipti reminded me of the large granite boulders of
Goa's picturesque
Palolem beach. These are known as Canacona granite dated back to 2.5 billion
years. Dipti hails
from Sheldem-Quepem close from the place which is known for another very
ancient rock formation-
the Chandranath granite. She traveled almost 10000 kilometres to land on a
rocky, icy continent to
find a place which was geologically closer to Quepem. Dipti had been my student
for a few months
when I was teaching her M.Sc. Marine sciences class. They were already exposed
to the ocean
cruises on `Sagarkanya" and ` Sagarpurvi". Dipti works on a project supervised
by the dean of the
faculty of life sciences and environment, a well known Marine scientist, Prof.
G. N. Nayak. Prof.
Nayak is an expert on mining and environment. Dipti works under him on a
project sponsored by
government of India alongwith another colleague Mr. Tomchu Singh from Manipur
University. When
Prof. Nayak offered both of them an opportunity to join the NCAOR special
expedition to study the
ocean chemistry and sedimentology, there was no looking back. Dipti recalls
that it was just about
a month when they had to prepare themselves. They had to undergo medical
examination. They had to
collect their sampling and analyticaldevices and plan for the two month long
trip. Dipti's parents
encouraged her to participate. She was just one of the three women in the team.
The expedition left Marmagoa harbour on January 25. On the way to Port Louis,
Mauritius, the ship
collected water and sediment core samples. Around February 10, they reached
Port Louis and loaded
the ship with the required cargo for non stop voyage to the southern sea. In
the last week of
February they spotted the first icebergs. When they reached close to Larsemann
hills on 24
February, the ship anchored in the sea surrounded by huge icebergs and the
Russian sailors lowered
boats to ferry them to the mainland. The subzero temperature did not deter the
team. The Penguins
and sea gulls welcomed them as the team had the first footfall close to the
Larsemann hills. The
previous Indian expedition had left behind a modular, prefabricated shelter an
`Igloo', which the
team located.
They walked across the sheets of ice on bare rock. Except stray lichens there
was no patch of
life. Dipti collected samples from a frozen lake after drilling a hole in the
surface ice sheet.
The weather was turning ugly. The team continued to collect samples for four
days but there was a
danger of blizzards. Weather at earth's poles is highly unpredictable. On
February 28, as the
climatic conditions showed further deterioration and the Sea began freezing ,
the expedition
decided to call it a day. On their return voyage they collected water samples
at regular
intervals. The ship has facilities for storing and analyzing the samples.
The expedition safely returned to Goa on April 1. It was a memorable experience
for Dipti and Mr.
Singh. They were the first research scholars from Goa university to reach
Antarctica. It was not a
picnic. It was very risky and serious scientific business. Each member of the
team was allotted
just six minutes talking time on the ship's satellite phone to communicate with
their families.
The life on the ship followed a very professional routine to which the
scientists are used. Among
her cherished memories are the sighting of the Penguins, the seals, the
albatrosses and the
beautiful icebergs which assume a peculiar bluish tinge. The unpolluted , deep
blue, crystal clear
waters of the sea around Antarctica was a beautiful experience. Crossing the
equator was another
experience. The polychromic colourful tropical sunsets changed as they neared
Antarctica and it
was a white, blue and gray world. A scientist had brought an instrument to
record the noise level.
But where else would one have a noise free nvironment?
Dipti's experience gave her an insight into the dynamics of the ocean. There
had been other Goan
women before her in Antarctica. Dr.Helga Gomes was selected by the US science
foundation to join
the US expedition to Antarctica. She had been there in 2005 and wrote a
humorous blog. But Dipti
was the first Goan girl to visit Antarctica as a member of an Indian team. The
same can be said
of Mr. Sigh who must have done the landlocked Manipuris very proud. The samples
brought back by
Dipti and Mr. Singh would occupy them for months. It is to the credit of their
mentor Prof. Nayak
that he encouraged them to join the team. They were treated very well on board
of the ship.
Their experience should enthuse other students and young research scholars,
especially the girls
to join such expeditions. The Government of Goa should felicitate Ms. Dipti
Vilas Gawas Dessai and
Mr. Sigh as well.
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