High-Altitude Climate Research Station

High-Altitude Climate Research Station: The India’s first-ever High-Altitude Climate Research Station at Nathatop, Jammu & Kashmir was recently inaugurated, coinciding with the launch of the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Project ICE-CRUNCH.

• About High-Altitude Climate Research Station: The high-altitude location allows more accurate atmospheric and climate measurements under free tropospheric conditions.
• Purpose: Climate forecast and research in the North-Western Himalayas.
• Collaboration: Joint initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, J&K Forest Department, & Central University of Jammu.
• About Project ICE-CRUNCH (Ice nucleating particles and cloud condensation nuclei properties in the North-Western Himalayas):
• Collaboration: Indo-Swiss joint research project with scientists from ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
• Objective: To study ice-nucleating particles and cloud condensation nuclei in the region.
• Importance: These studies are crucial in understanding aerosols in cloud microphysics, their impact on climate systems and precipitation in the Himalayas.
• Broader Missions: Cited as complementing Aroma Mission and Floriculture Mission for Himalayan potential and economic value.