Dr. Thamban Meloth  FNASc

Director In-charge

Dr. Thamban Meloth has been associated with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research since 2002. He completed his masters from Cochin University of Science and Technology in 1993 and PhD from Goa University (work carried out at the National Institute of Oceanography) in 1999. Since then, he has served as an Assistant Professor under the Kannur University, Kerala, and as Scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, before joining NCPOR in 2002. His research primarily focusses on cryosphere processes and climate variability in Antarctica, Arctic and Himalaya. He was instrumental in establishing India’s first and state-of-the-art Ice Core Laboratory at NCPOR. He has undertaken several scientific expeditions to the Antarctic, Arctic, Himalayas and Southern Ocean. He was also part of the first Indian Scientific Expedition to the South Pole in 2010. 

In recognition of his scientific contributions, he had been awarded with the prestigious National Geoscience Award by the Government of India (2013) as well as several national and international awards that include: DAAD Fellowship (1997) by German Academic Exchange Service, JSPS Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Japan (2001), Young Scientist Award by the Indian Science Congress (2001), START Young Scientist Award (2001) by the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme, Prof. Naganna Gold Medal (2003) by the Mineralogical Society of India, etc. 

Thamban is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences India. Thamban is a member of various national/ international committees including, Scientific Steering Committee of International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS), Scientific Steering Group of Cryosphere and Climate (CliC) Project of the World Climate Research Programme, Executive Council Panel on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research, and Services (EC-PHORS), Cryosphere working group of International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), national committee of Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), Research Advisory Committee of National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR) as well as a member of the Board of Studies in universities.

Thamban has supervised several PhDs in the interdisciplinary field of polar sciences. He has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed publications in reputed international and national journals that have received more than 3400 citations (https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?hl=en&user=mstcHuYAAAAJ). 

Email: meloth@ncpor.res.in