Marine Hydrophysical Institute

Marine Hydrophysical Institute 

(full name, Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR; MGI), a research institution where work in marine physics is carried out. It was founded in Moscow in 1948 as part of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and was an outgrowth of the Marine Hydrophysical Laboratory of the academy. In 1961 it was turned over to the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, and in 1963 the institute was moved to Sevastopol’.

As of 1973 the institute was conducting research in such areas as the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere; the dynamics of surface, tidal, and internal waves; water circulation; turbulence; the mesostructure and microstructure of the ocean’s physical fields (temperature, salinity, and density); the speed and direction of currents; optical and acoustic properties; the magnetic and gravitational fields; the relief of the sea floor; and the chemistry and geochemistry of the ocean.

The institute is also developing new hydrophysical measuring equipment. Since 1970 the institute has performed theoretical research on the development of surface and internal waves, in particular the tsunami; developed theories and methods of calculating on computers the currents for various regions of the ocean; and carried out extensive integrated expeditionary investigations based on international and national programs using the institute’s research vessels, the Mikhail Lomonosov and Akademik Vernadskii.

The Marine Hydrophysical Institute publishes the quarterly collection Morskie gidrofizicheskie issledovaniia (Marine Hydro-physical Research) and other periodicals.

A. G. KOLESNIKOV