STUDY TO MEASURE VERTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS
OF OZONE AND HUMIDITY
A study has been
initiated to measure vertical distributions of ozone and humidity.
The Department of Space launched the new programme recently with
the first balloon flight carrying ozone and radiosondes. Subsequent
flights with balloon-borne sensors will be sent every fortnight
from the Physical Research Laboratory of the Department from Ahmedabad.
Concentration of
ozone at surface and in the troposphere has been increasing due
to rise in pollution levels at many places over the globe. In
order to understand the changes in ozone in the troposphere, due
to natural as well as man-made activities, the programme has been
launched by the Space Department.
Of late, global warming
due to depletion of the ozone layer, has begun to receive world-wide
attention. India is one of the forerunners in this kind of a study,
because of the expertise and infrastructure available here. Recently
India has been chosen to be the Regional Centre for the study
of climate change and adaptation, by a UN body for the same reasons.
India is also collaborating
with a number of international agencies like NASA etc. in this
regard. A specific Indo-French joint satellite mission "Megha-Tropiques,
for the study of the tropical atmosphere and climate related aspects,
is progressing well. The mission involves joint development of
scientific instruments to be placed on a French Satellite Platform,
to be launched by ISRO's PSLV in 2006.
