The term IndARC, sometimes seen in the news, is the name of

India's underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region. IndARC is a moored underwater observatory in Kongsfjorden in the Arctic. PIB calls it India's first multi-sensor moored observatory there. It records seawater temperature, salinity and current. The official UPSC key for Series A gives (d) for Q73. Read more: SciTech0166 — IndARC: India’s Underwater Observatory in the Arctic.

In which Arctic water body was the IndARC moored observatory deployed in July 2014?

Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. IndARC was anchored in Kongsfjorden, a fjord in Svalbard. PIB calls it a reference site for Arctic marine studies. Prydz Bay is not an Arctic site. Read more: SciTech0166 — IndARC: India’s Underwater Observatory in the Arctic.

Which two institutions sent the team that deployed IndARC on 23 July 2014?

NCAOR and NIOT. PIB says a team from NCAOR and NIOT deployed IndARC on 23 July 2014. INCOIS also helped design and develop it. The Norwegian Polar Institute's vessel R.V. Lance carried the mooring. The other pairs were not named in the deployment. Read more: SciTech0166 — IndARC: India’s Underwater Observatory in the Arctic.

India's Arctic research station Himadri, inaugurated on 1 July 2008, is located at

Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. NCPOR says Himadri is at the International Arctic Research base in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. It is about 1,200 km from the North Pole. IndARC lies in Kongsfjorden. Himadri is a land station, and IndARC is an underwater mooring. Read more: SciTech0166 — IndARC: India’s Underwater Observatory in the Arctic.

Why did scientists place a moored observatory in Kongsfjorden instead of relying only on ship surveys?

To get continuous data, including in the harsh Arctic winter when reaching the site is hard. PIB says reaching Kongsfjorden in the harsh Arctic winter is hard. Ship surveys covered spring, summer and fall. A mooring gives continuous data near the surface and at set depths. It measures fjord water, not rainfall. Read more: SciTech0166 — IndARC: India’s Underwater Observatory in the Arctic.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India's Arctic work, including the IND-Arc mooring, helps study the link between

Arctic ice melt and the Indian monsoon. In a 2025 Rajya Sabha reply, the Ministry said studies link Arctic sea ice and temperatures to the Indian monsoon. It said India deployed the mooring to study changes due to melting Arctic ice. The mooring measures ocean properties and does not prove the link by itself. Read more: SciTech0166 — IndARC: India’s Underwater Observatory in the Arctic.

MCQ QuestionsMy progress

Consider the following statements about IndARC: 1. It is a moored observatory in Kongsfjorden. 2. It was deployed from a research vessel of the Norwegian Polar Institute. 3. It records only air temperature and wind above the fjord. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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Consider the following statements about IndARC: 1. It is a moored observatory in Kongsfjorden. 2. It was deployed from a research vessel of the Norwegian Polar Institute. 3. It records only air temperature and wind above the fjord. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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