India began its first South Pole expedition on Monday to analyse its environmental changes over the past one thousand years, local media reported.

Flags at the Ceremonial South Pole [File photo]

The Indian Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan flagged off the expedition on Monday evening, which will last for 40 days, and the team will be back in mid-December, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.

The expedition team consists of eight scientists. Before reaching the South Pole, the team will first go to Maitri, India' s second permanent research station in Antarctica by plane via Cape Town in South Africa, according to the report.

Maitri ,which means friendship in the Hindi language, was built in 1989 on the ice-free rocky foundation of the Schirmacher oasis.

The team will travel 2,400 km in specially-designed vehicles from Maitri to the South Pole, where the scientists will spend just one or two days.

It will be the first time for India to send an expedition to the South Pole, and the scientists will bring air, rocks and other samples of the continent back to the Goa Laboratory for further studying, said an official of the Indian Science and Technology Ministry.

The expedition team will conduct various scientific experiments on its ways to the South Pole, and record humidity, temperature, wind speed and atmospheric pressure.

They will study variability of snow chemistry, bed rock topography and sub-surface ice structure, the official added.

The expedition is part of India's ambition of drawing international attention to its scientific presence in the South Pole, a scientist said.