In accordance with the Decree №220 of April 9, 2010 "On measures to attract leading scientists at Russian institutions of higher education" as part of the program of state support of scientific research conducted by leading scientists in Russian universities in October 2011 N.I. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod took up a major new project" Air-sea/land interaction: physics and observation of planetary boundary layers and quality of environment" by a leading scientist Professor S.S. Zilitinkevich (contract № 11.G34.31.0048 on October 21, 2011).
Among fundamental scientific problems, fast climate change, deterioration of the environment and increasing danger of environmental hazards attract close attention of public and governments. These phenomena are the most essential for the planetary boundary layers (PBLs) defined as thin strongly turbulent layers at the interface of atmosphere, hydrosphere and land surface the in the atmosphere or hydrosphere immediately affected by dynamic, thermal and other interactions at their inner boundaries. Processes in PBL are extremely important from the practical point of view, because more that 90% of biosphere and almost entire anthroposphere are concentrated within atmospheric PBL, which essentially is our habitat. In this connection, physically confirmed models of PBLs and development of instruments and methods for its monitoring and control are crucially important for quality our life under conditions of anthropogenic load to environment.
Droplet formation under strong wind over water surface
by "bag breakup" mechanism (wind speed 25 m/s)
Physical modelling of storm waves in the high-speed wind-wave flume
(wind speed 40 m/s)
