First science step in Siachen: Himalayan earthquake sensors

These seismic instruments would be functional in about six months time.

“We have a very limited seismic network in the Himalayan region. We are trying to substantially increase that network. Reaching to Siachen is part of that project,” said Prof B R Arora, Director of the Wadia institute.

Siachen is the world’s highest battlefield with significant presence of the Indian armed forces. But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has repeatedly stressed the need for making it the “Mountain of Peace” and one of the ways that has been discussed often is by promoting scientific research in the ecologically important area.

Arora said the exercise was mainly academic and data from the area would be coalesced from other centres to study the tectonic forces in the Himalayan region.

“The region is not very seismically active. But occurrences of quakes of magnitude of 1 or 2 on the Richter scale cannot be ruled out. The aim is to collect data and use it for the overall study of seismic activity in the Himalayan region,” he said.

He said compared to other similar difficult terrains in the Himalayas, Siachen was relatively easy to reach out to because of the presence of the Indian forces. “Part of the reason taking our network to the Siachen region that we already have a presence in that area. Our efforts would be complemented by that of the Indian Army,” Arora said.

Because of extreme climatic conditions, the equipments being installed in Siachen are sturdier and more energy-efficient than those currently in use and these would work mainly on solar power. Arora said such equipments were being installed at many other places in the Himalayan region to strengthen the network.