Meteorology and Climatology at Kazan University: Celebrating the 190th Anniversary of Russia’s Hydrometeorological Service

Abstract

This article summarizes the history of meteorological and climate research at Kazan University, spanning a period from 1812 to the present day. The distinguished contributions of Professor Adolph Theodor Kupffer to the establishment of Russia’s Hydrometeorological Service in 1834 were highlighted. Major achievements of the Kazan Meteorological School were analyzed, including those concerning global and regional climate change, circulation systems, as well as atmospheric dynamics and structure up to altitudes of 80 km. The influence of weather and climate factors on agriculture, wind industry, heating period, and public health was assessed. The observational data show that annual temperatures in Kazan have increased from 3.1 to 5.7 °C since 1871, with a rise in summer and winter temperatures from 18.1 to 19.7 °С and from –12.6 to –8.7 °C, respectively. The findings suggest that contemporary climate warming in Kazan began earlier (1946) compared to the general trend in the Northern Hemisphere (1970). The annual input of the Northern Hemisphere processes to temperature shifts in Kazan amounts to 63 %, with 27 % in summer and 43 % during winter. Using the CMIP6 climate projections based on anthropogenic factors as a driving force, future air temperature levels in Kazan throughout the 21st century were predicted.The long-term trends in temperature and precipitation across the Middle Volga, Cis-Urals, and the whole of Russia were explored. A general warming trend in recent decades was revealed.The efforts of Kazan meteorologists in advancing the understanding of large-scale atmospheric processes from the Earth’s surface up to 80 km were noted. The agroclimatic and biometeorological conditions of the Volga Federal District, the Republic of Tatarstan in particular, were described.