Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram: the earth science centre that studies Kerala's slopes and skies
Background
The National Centre for Earth Science Studies is at Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram.
It began as the Centre for Earth Science Studies, established in 1978, and in 2014 it gained national stature under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, and was re-envisioned as the National Centre for Earth Science Studies.
It is part of the Earth System Science Organization under that ministry.
Its work is organised into four research groups: the Solid Earth Research Group, the Environmental Hydrology Group, the Marine Science Group and the Atmospheric Science Group.
Slope stability and landslide study is among its research areas, along with river and ground water hydrology of Peninsular India and the dynamics of thunderstorms and lightning.
It runs field stations including an atmospheric observatory at Mattupetty near Munnar and a critical zone observatory at Attappadi.
In plain words
NCESS National Centre for Earth Science Studies — A central earth science institute at Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram.
Critical zone observatory A field station studying the surface layer of the earth — A field station that watches the thin surface layer where rock, soil, water and air meet.